Chapter Text
Cairo - Egypt - 2/1/1989
It was about mid day. The scorching sun of Egypt beat down its rays onto the sandy valleys below. Not a cloud in sight, revealing the sky's bland cyan glow. A weak, dry wind stirred the sand, nudging it down the desert slopes and letting it simmer again. Endlessly, the vast landscape of the desert streatched out for seemingly miles and miles in each direction, and it grew more and more unbearably hot as the suffocating stiff air hovered over all the surroundings. There seemed to be nothing in sight, except a few lone pebbles in the sand, filed down smooth from decades of pointlessly tumbling through the course gravel. This was a depressing, barren place, seemingly made to suck out the last ounce of any joy or motivation anyone unfortunate enough to be venturing through here had left. Jotaro blinked as a cicada brushed past his face and disapeared into the distance again. He has kept at the back of the group, gripping the reigns from the cammels harness, and silently following Josephs lead with the others, the monotone crush of the cammels lean legs traversing the sand being the only thing to focus his mind on.
Eventualy the sky dimmed and the sun cowered low. The stand users walked for hours through the gruesome heat, but now at a later time of day, the climate became slightly more bearable. Soon after the sun lowered, and a faint light appeared in the distance, though it was difficult to tell what it was. Still, it was something, a bright blur guiding them forward, and this bright blur was enough to bring back a trace of the motivation that everyone previously once had.
"Looks like we've made it to our destination" Joseph's gaze was fixed on the distant light.
So this is really where we were traveling to this whole time? Jotaro breathed a sigh of relief and straightened his hat. "About time." He, and the other crusaders were completly drained after the long journey from Japan to Egypt, but now their travel was slowly nearing the end. Dio was within range, and they might have to face him in as soon as even a few days. Wherever they arrive now might be the last place they get to rest recover before the final confrontation, they will have to make the most of the time they have now .
"About time indeed Jotaro, infact just in time, if we'd have gotten here any later it would have been dark by the time we arrived." Joseph looked back at the other four, and led the way toward the light.
The light quickly turned into a larger light, and as it got darker it turned into a brighter light, and eventualy it shifted into a small town. It wasn't a showy town, but it would have to do for the time being. The whole place was surrounded by a tall weathered sandstone wall, with a singualar exit and entry point, unguarded and seemingly accesable to annyone who wished to enter. There was a few people standing around, loitering near the enteryway, and a man tending to some crops streatching out along the perimeter of the wall.
Odd to be out doing such chores at a time like this
The five climbed off thier cammels, Polnareff awkwardly sliding off startling the cammel, making it kick back sand in distress showering Jotaro's jacket with a waterfall of dust. Thanks. Polnareff glared at a lose strap coming off the side of the cammels harness. "Stupid thing just had to catch on-"
AAAAAAAAH
"What the hell-" Joseph and the others faced the direction where the high pitched shriek came from. A pretty young woman grasped at her face and tugged at her long black hair in fear as the glared at each stand user, gawking at polnareff with a bitter despise and with terror scarring her face. She stumbled, barely able to hold herself upright, and fell back onto the sand writhing on the floor. Her shrieks continued, naturaly bringing the attention of many surounding people, which was exactly what Joseph wanted to avoid.
"Ma cherrie, whats wrong!?" Polnareff's confused cry sounded towards the young woman, yet she diddn't reply. He bounded over to her, reaching out before Avdol stopped in his way. "How are we meant to know this isn't some sort of trap? Don't you find the womans behaviour quite bizarre?" Polnareff halted, hesaitantly "But-"
"Polnareff, this is no time to act iresponsably, we need to think through our every move." Joseph looked from Polnareff, to where the woman lay. She was already surrounded by a crowd of people wanting to know what happened and if she was okay. Nobody seemed to realise that the womans sudden outburst looked like it was triggered by the crusaders, because as people gathered, they payed no attention to the five, and simply rushed past them. Joseph looked back towards Polnareff. "Looks like she will be taken care of, nothing to worry about." He looked around and added. " And luckily it doesn't seem like people are giving a care about us."
"I wonder what startled her though." Kakyoins softly spoken voice came from behind. "Surely it couldn't be the work of another stand user." Joseph sighed. "Im afraid we will just have to be careful, now let's get going, i dont want to waste what little of the day we have left." And he begain to walk towards the town entrance, leaving Jotaro with an odd sensation, as he glanced back at the woman one last time.
A kind man offered the group's cammels a place for the night.The town entrance had many nice buildings and businesses. Though it may have looked underwhelming from the outside, the town had a unique feel to it. Each building was well maintained and lit up, And the terrain was neatly managed, with a variety of plants of all different shapes and sizes, and pathes leading from one restourant to another, until they led back towards where the houses begain. It was a small, but well managed space. Some paths led further back to where more random buildings were. Jotaro examined the surroundings. There has to be some hotel somewhere. He felt heavy and his hands ached from the cammel's uncomfortable reigns. He knew the others must be consumed by this inevitable fatuige too, and couldn't wait to finaly settle in a hotel for the night.
Avdol noticed the few nicer businesses nearer the back of the town entrance, which seemed inviting enough. Polnareff caught his eye, recognising the interest in Avdol's gaze."Y'know I'm sure we could look around a bit." He pointed out seemingly quite keen on venturing out with Avdol. Joseph shot him a stern glance. Polnareff quickly added, "Well we of course could look out for stand users, And search for a hotel, we need to do that anyway, are'nt I right Mr Joestar?" He tilted his head, leaned forth and grinned expectantly at Joseph.
Joseph sighed and nodded. "Well i suppose it would'nt hurt for us to look around, since we need to find a hotel anyway. Fine, Polnareff. You and Avdol, come with me, we'll search for a hotel, there should be one up north if the information i've been given is correct." Both Polnareff and Avdol waited next to Joseph, swapping glances and nodding at eachother. Polnareffs eyes betrayed a hint of excitement, though he only showed a brief smile as he stood by Avdol and Joseph. Joseph looked at Jotaro and Kakyoin. "You two just look around, stay on guard, and for the love of god don't get yourself lost this time." Jotaro gave a curt nod with a grunt and kakyoin inclined his head in agreement, his face not saying much. He flicked his red curl and fixed his uniform. Noriaki always seemed like a rather stoic person. At first he seems emotionless and cold, though truly he was just quiet and composed. Jotaro understood that most. Over the short time they knew eachother, Jotaro noticed hidden parts of Kakyoin that most other people simply dont see, and he understood him, like most other people diddn't. And yet theres something stopping them from communicating the fact, that there might be a deeper apreciation comeing from both sides that neither of them realised - It was simply yet to be revealed.
Jotaro briefly waved Joseph off. "See you around then, old man." Jotaro stared at Joseph turn around and leave with the other two. Kakyoin already turned around and started walking towards some cafe. For the split second before Jotaro turned around to follow, he caught Joseph glancing back at him, a teasing gleam in his green eyes. He winked, gave a brief smile, and turned back to begin a conversation with Polnareff andd Avdol, as if nothing has just happened and Jotaro was seeing things due to how terribly tired he was.
"Good grief." Jotaro sighed as he adjusted his hat and turned around to follow, though he could'nt help but catch his breath as he watched Kakyoin walk before before him.