A Torn Journal - Noriaki Kakyoin - Universe

Power In Truth

     The trip back to the hotel was quiet, which was strange given Iggy's presence. He would typically only stop talking to sleep or eat, and only sometimes even then.
     We'd made good time so far. Though the phone call had delayed us a bit, I was sure I could get a shower when we got back and it'd still be before seven by the time I was done. I hadn't put on my new clothes yet. As soon as I finished my shower I was going to get into the new clothes and toss my old items into the nearest dumpster. I knew these school uniforms could be a bit expensive, but this one simply wasn't worth it anymore. Their stench of blood was starting to give me a headache.
     As Iggy and I quietly walked back to the hotel, I had to wonder how exactly my mom felt about my adventure. The phone call from just a few minutes earlier still gave me goosebumps. It was strange, the way both the past and present universe had become reality. Everything that happened in each of them was real, yet everything contradicted itself. I felt like I was living a double life. I guess I am, I noted silently. I guess I always have been, in a way. Even though I didn't know it for fifteen years. Wow... Fifteen years. Fifteen years since I closed my eyes for the last time in the past universe. That seems like so long ago. I'm honestly surprised I remember what I do, despite how vague my memory really is. Actually, I'm surprised I remember anything at all. If we really destroyed that place, why should I? What's left of it to remember?
     "Oh, hey, Jonathan!" I heard Iggy suddenly exclaim. I looked up to see our kindly companion sitting quietly on a bench just outside the hotel doors. He glanced over at us upon hearing Iggy's voice.
     "Iggy, Kakyoin," he began, "I didn't realize you two were up. I'm pretty sure you were still asleep when I left the room, Iggy." Iggy nodded.
     Iggy woke me up at five this morning didn't he?
     "You've been up for a while," I huffed. "What've you been doing, anyway?"
     My companion shrugged. "Just thought I'd stock up a little before we left. Food, bandage, you know. I guess you guys went clothes shopping." Jonathan examined the outfit I was carrying, then looked over at Iggy. "And you probably had breakfast, too," he added with a smile. I laughed a bit to myself. For what other reason would Iggy be up so early?
     As Iggy and Jonathan went on talking, I thought I caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of my eye. I looked around, but nothing was near. Maybe a bird or something. For some reason, I doubted that thought. I just have a bad feeling... I continued to scan our surroundings, looking for anything I could count as suspicious. Nothing really seemed to jump out at me. Nothing, I thought. Maybe I'm just paranoid? Suddenly, I saw it. Just a few small black dots not far from us. At first it didn't really occur to me what they were. I looked closer. Some kind of... My breath caught in my throat. Projectiles!
     "Jonathan, down!" I shouted. In a split-second motion I put my arm on his shoulder and shoved him over as hard as I could. Hierophant helped. My small amount of strength probably couldn't have moved him like that on its own. The black projectiles flew straight over Jonathan's head. Would have hit him right through the skull had I been a second later. I let out a quick sigh. I guess you can never be too paranoid.
     "Thanks, Kakyoin," Jonathan huffed, summoning his Stand and scrambling to his feet. "Where's the enemy?"
     I scanned the area. That's what I'd like to know. Even in the direction that the projectiles came from, there was no one to be seen. I glanced over to where the attack had struck. A few small, black darts now stuck out from the pavement a few meters away. They pierced the road... Those darts are sharp. I took a deep breath. Okay, let's see, how are we going to handle this? We don't know where the user is yet, but all three of us have Stands potentially capable of finding him. The fastest way to end this fight is by finding the user first... But whose Stand should be the one to search? I thought on this.
     "Iggy," I said. "Do you think you can use The Fool to find the user?"
     "Yeah," he replied, and began to spread out his Stand's sand.
I think I'm the only one with a ranged attack, and we need Jonathan's healing capabilities. Iggy's sand can probably find him the fastest anyways. All we have to do now is wait... I summoned Hierophant and had him unwind himself a bit. Be ready to catch or block another attack, I told him, just in case. He nodded.
     As we waited, we all kept our eyes keen, trying to catch a glimpse of the enemy. The darts had to have come from somewhere. The stand must be fast enough to have moved before we could see it. Of course, it's possible that the Stand doesn't really have a physical form, and that the darts are the Stand itself... But I doubt that. It just seems unlikely.
     Something appeared in the corner of my eye. I caught my breath.
     "Hierophant, block them!" I shouted. My Stand knocked three or four darts away with a precise blow. They fell to the ground, but I felt them pierce my arm because of the initial hit. More blood seeped into the sleeve of my uniform jacket. They're so sharp... I thought. That was a stupid move. I should have shot an Emerald Splash at them. Though I can't guarantee it would hit, given how fast they are... Come on, Noriaki, think! There has to be another way to block them!
     "Any luck yet, Iggy?" I murmured, trying my hardest to ignore the pain in my arm. He shook his head.
     "Not a thing," he replied. "No Stand, no user, nothing. But you gotta give me some more time, there's a lot of ground to cover."
Right.
     I scanned the landscape for any sign of the Stand. I hadn't seen it the last time it fired darts, but I hadn't really been looking in its direction when that happened. Still though, it's nowhere to be seen... How are we supposed to hit something that fast? I shuddered as I remembered the last time I'd been head to head with an unreasonably quick Stand. Speedwagon had to die just so we could defeat it. I know there's a better way out of this fight. I'm not letting anything like that ever happen again.
     The sight of more darts interrupted my thoughts. This time, I had been looking their way, but still I somehow didn't see the Stand that fired them. They just seemed to appear out of thin air. I had Hierophant try to block the projectiles again, but Jonathan sent vines from his own Stand to take the blow instead. To my surprise, the darts just sort of bounced away from them. I turned to look at Jonathan. He seemed unfazed by the hit. I didn't know he could do that.
     "Thanks," I said to him. He smiled.
     "I noticed that your Hierophant isn't exactly built for that."
     I nodded. "Yeah, he's not really a defense Stand."
     Jonathan kept his vines around us, ready to deflect another attack if he had to. His protection gave me more time to think about what was going on. If I couldn't catch a glimpse of it, maybe it really doesn't have a physical form. Or it could be a long distance Stand... But if it was either of those things, I would think that it could attack faster than it is. I'm sure it can, because firing darts at this frequency is kind of underwhelming. They're fast, and sharp, but he hasn't fired enough of them to really do any damage. That brought a different thought to mind. If that's so, then the only reason he would fire so few of them at a time would be to keep us from focusing on where they came from.
     "I think I get it," I noted out loud. "The reason we can't see the Stand is simply because it's invisible. Doesn't seem like part of his power set, so I bet we're actually up against two different Stands."
     "Explains why I haven't found it," Iggy grunted. "I've been checking corners and alleys and such for the user. Didn't think the Stand would be right out in the open."
     A more sinister voice touched my ears, its tone giving a slight echo to the air.
     "Clever, Kakyoin," it sneered. "Really. I'm impressed."
     Void's bitter sarcasm made his anger obvious.
     "You know," he went on, "it gets really hard to keep up with you Crusaders sometimes. Why, even just using two Stands at once takes a lot out of me. It's tiring."
     Great, he's monologuing again, I thought. With that tone he's using, I guess I must've been right. He always gives himself away when he starts talking... I'll entertain him.
"Really?" I said, still keeping an eye out for more darts. Jonathan mostly had it under control. "You seem a lot tougher than that when we confront you."
"That simply means your whole group is weaker than one exhausted sixteen-year-old." I could just feel him smirking when he said it. I rolled my eyes.
     "Face it, Void. You're terrified of us."
     His voice went to a low growl before morphing once again into his common mocking tone. "Terrified," he repeated. "Of what? What do you really have on your side?" As he went on, his voice seemed to echo from every direction. It gave me chills just hearing it. "I have nothing to be afraid of, Kakyoin. I know exactly what all of you are. Iggy, a homeless street rat who cares for little more than his own well-being. Jonathan, a quiet and regretful young man who doesn't remember how to fight in the slightest. That doesn't matter- the guilt from letting your best friend die will certainly devour you someday anyways. And Kakyoin," he paused, and a small laugh broke through his voice. "Why, you're the worst of all! Homesick, confused, insecure... And untrustworthy. A liar."
I winced, and heard Iggy growl, "Is he still holding onto that?"
"Onto what?" Jonathan's voice came.
Oh no. I knew where this was going.
"Oh, Kakyoin," Void said excitedly, "you haven't told him? You're more terrible than I thought! Would you like me to do the honors?"
It didn't matter. I knew Jonathan would understand either way. But I hated the way Void seemed so happy about it. There were a lot of ways this could go badly.
"Jonathan Joestar, you poor man." The Void mocked a tone of pity. "They haven't told you the full truth about your friend Speedwagon, have they? About poor little Oliver's death?"
"Guys, what's he talking about?" Jonathan murmured.
"Your friend Kakyoin made a deal," Void said. "A deal with me, when you were all still in Stokesend. Simply terrible that he decided not to tell you about it. Especially since it was regarding the lives of you and your dead friend."
I noticed Jonathan's breath quicken just slightly.
"What do you mean?" He demanded, his tone growing aggressive in a sharp contrast to its usual sound. "What kind of deal?"
"I remember the moment so perfectly." The enemy chuckled. "As long as Speedwagon and Jonathan don't join the fight, I would spare their lives. That was the deal. Of course he couldn't control whether or not you came because his cowardice kept his mouth shut." I winced when he said that. He was right, but I was past that kind of thing now. The Void went on. "Your own companion, Jonathan Joestar, used your lives like currency. He made a deal for you without even telling you. And when he broke his side of the deal, well, what else was there to do other than break my end as well?"
"That's a lie," Jonathan growled. "Kakyoin wouldn't have done something like that." He glanced over at me, and I met his eyes for only a moment before looking away. He had an uncertain look that showed me he didn't fully believe what he had said. I just couldn't meet his eyes. I'm sorry Jonathan, I thought. But you've got to understand. I was just trying to protect you... I shook my head. That's no excuse, Noriaki, I told myself. It wasn't my place to make that kind of deal, especially without telling anyone...
"Just look at that shameful traitor hang his head," I heard Void cackle. The sound of his voice enraged me. "You know it's true, Joestar."
There was silence for a moment as our enemy let his words sink in. I wanted to say something, but I didn't have any words. Anything I tried to come up with just dissolved back into my thoughts. The only coherent thing I could think to say was 'I'm sorry' which repeated itself over and over until it was the only thing I could think at all.
"Want to know the best part, Jonathan Joestar?" I heard Void say. "Want to know the highlight? The kicker?"
I knew exactly what the enemy was going to say, and I hated that feeling.
"Your friend Speedwagon?" He said. "I didn't kill him." The Void paused, and I could just feel his sinister smile grow. "He did."
My heart broke once again as I remembered the scene. A quiet forest, with greenery and various little weeds growing at the bases of tall trees, and the presence of the small, green leaves that signal the arrival of spring. I laid weak and injured in the grass, trying to find a way to defeat an impossibly fast Stand. It was then that my companion had proposed the only plan we could come up with. I didn't want to kill Speedwagon. I never wanted any harm to befall my friends. I know I should have thought before making that deal. And I know I should have told my friends, but... I began to grow angry with myself. Don't just think it, Noriaki! Say it! But I could feel Jonathan's eyes boring holes in my back. I couldn't make myself turn around to meet them.
"Kakyoin," he started off the sentence in a hushed tone, "is that true?"
I bit my lip, but remained silent.
"Kakyoin?"
My heart was pounding as I whispered my reply.
"It's true." The words came out in a quivering voice. "Everything he said," I swallowed my saliva, "it's all true."
Suddenly, a thousand things to say in my defense flooded throughout my head. I had no choice! It was our only option! It was per his own request! None of these things added any true justification to what I'd done. I made a deal that wasn't mine to make, and my friends paid the price for it. No matter my excuse, these facts were still true, Speedwagon was still dead. I used all the willpower I could muster to turn and look back at Jonathan. He seemed shocked. I couldn't blame him. I choked out the only thing I knew to.
"I'm so sorry."
For a while, he simply stared at me, and I couldn't quite read the emotion in his eyes. I tried to piece together something to say. There was no other way. It was the only option we had, or else we both would have died... This thought made a pang of guilt stab my heart. It should have been me.
I didn't get a chance to think on this for very long, because a hard jab in my side made me realize that Iggy had been nudging me for a short while, trying to get my attention.
"Kakyoin!" He growled. "Pull yourself together, we're under attack!"
I seemed to return to the battlefield and I glanced around me. Out of the corner of my eye were more of those black darts. Jonathan had slowly been lowering his guard since the conversation began, and I knew we weren't aptly protected without his Stand at the ready. Crap! I thought. Of course Void would try to attack us while we're distracted! I sent Hierophant out to knock the darts off-course. I felt them pierce my skin. It hurt, but at least that meant I hit. My quick motion seemed to snap Jonathan back to reality too. This was no time to sort things out, no matter how much we needed to. He readied his Stand once more, but held my gaze for a few moments longer. I hated the look in his eyes. I couldn't read them.
Again, I suddenly caught a glimpse of the black darts. Jonathan didn't seem to see them. I sent Hierophant out to block them and I was stabbed once again. I hardly noticed.
"Kakyoin, behind you!" Iggy called out.
I whipped around, but this time Jonathan's Stand was the one to block the attack. I nodded my thanks but I don't think he noticed the gesture. Another shot of darts came from another direction, and he blocked them with perfect timing. The attacks are getting faster, I thought. How are we supposed to keep up with them? I knew that the Stand had to be right next to us, but I didn't want to risk sending Hierophant Green anywhere with so many attacks coming on so quickly. But there isn't much that Iggy or Jonathan can do from a distance... I've got to strike the Stand, but when?
Suddenly, I noticed a thin layer of sand begin to spread across the ground. I glanced over at Iggy. He seemed focused. Smart. We should be able to see the Stand's movements now...
I scanned the ground for any disruption in the sand. The layer was thin to keep it less noticeable, so I had to look closely. After just a moment or so, I noticed two small prints in the sand. We were lucky that this Stand actually stood on the ground. Though I sort of expected that. If Iggy wasn't able to find the user earlier, then he must be somewhere far off. Long distance Stands like that tend to travel on the ground, from what I remember... A few moments from the past world flashed thorough my mind. They were brief memories, but enough for me to remember what exactly had been going on. A water based Stand attacked us once. It traveled on the ground... And another Stand we fought, that was just light reflecting in a mirror. It also had to stand on its own, in a way. Let's see. My attention returned to the battle at hand. The Stand is fast, but not too fast. I could see its feet shift the sands as it moved. I brought Hierophant to my side and waited for a good moment to release an Emerald Splash. Right... I took in a deep breath. Now!
But as soon as I thought this, I felt something stab me in the back of my shoulder. My thoughts went scrambled for just a moment. What happened? I turned to look, craning my neck to catch a glimpse of the injury. Four of the darts had struck me from behind. Blood poured out and further stained my ragged school uniform. A terrible sharp pain was shooting across my back, and I couldn't move my left arm without making it hurt even worse.
I noticed Jonathan lower his guard and glance towards me with wide eyes. I'll be fine! Pay attention, he's fast!
But just as I thought this, my companion's eyes went dull. My breath caught in my throat as he heavily fell to the ground. Three sharp, black darts stuck out from a pool of blood in the back of his head. No! I looked around, trying not to get distracted by what had happened. The enemy was still here. I blocked more darts with my Hierophant as they came at me.
"Iggy," I started frantically, "check on Jonathan!"
He nodded and did so without question.
My eyes searched the sandy ground for the footprints of the enemy Stand. Come on, come on, where is he? Finally, I noticed a swift movement in the substance. I watched as the enemy's location shifted and tried to aim an Emerald Splash that would hit him while he was still moving. I brought Hierophant close to my side. Ready? I asked him. I waited a few more seconds before giving the word. Do it!
"Emerald Splash!"
I saw the Emeralds make contact with something, and a fair amount of blood spilled out into the ground. I tried to let out all my anxiety from the fight in a long sigh. He's at least out of commission for now. The battle's over. I shook my head. That was awful.
"He's still breathing," I heard Iggy state. I turned to look at my bloodied companions. Iggy had also been hit by the darts just a few times during the fight. We'd all had it rough this time. I sighed once more, looking at Jonathan, whose quiet, unconscious breathing was unnervingly shallow. I'll have to tell him everything that happened with Speedwagon when I can. He really does deserve to know.
"Come on," I said. "Help me carry him. Jotaro might know what to do."
Iggy grunted. "Yeah."