The Forgotten Stardust Crusader

In Open Arms

The rain continued to fall, Sid could feel the rain soaking her hood and starting to seep onto her hair.
"And if I did run, you'd go back inside, wake him up and tell him that I ran?"
Sid angrily questioned Jotaro.
"If I didn't and waited till morning, my ass would be on the line with the old man."
Jotaro answered.
"We know you've been dealt an awful hand in life, but we are desperate for allies against DIO. And we're selfishly begging you to stay."
Kakyoin pleaded with Sid. She felt a large twinge of guilt, she felt that Kakyoin and Jotaro were her friends and that she was abandoning them. Sid wasn't used to people wanting her to stay, unless it was prison.
10/27/1975-
"Your going to be staying with grandma for awhile."
A woman with short, blonde hair said.
"Ok, mommy."
A young Sid replied. Sid liked the whoosh sound of the speeding cars passing their own.
"This is why we don't argue with mommy. Because then she gets mad and has to take you to grandmas. Do we understand?"
Sid's mom questioned.
"Yes mommy, I'm sorry."
Sid replied somberly. Sid's grandmother was always kind, at least Sid thought.
8/23/1982-
"Your harlot of a daughter is never to come back to my home ever again. She has been tempting my husband for years and I will not have it in my home."
Sid's grandmother yelled, throwing Sid's things onto the patio of her mom's house, as forcefully as any old woman could throw. In reality, Sid had been being molested by her grandfather since that day in 1979. Her grandmother drove away, Sid walked in the front door after picking up her stuff and putting back in her suitcase.
"You really had to go and fuck up the chance of me bringing you back there."
Sid's mom shouted.
"He ra-"
Sid tried to reason but was cut off.
"Don't try to pull that card on me. He is a great man and you will call them and apologize. Tomorrow, you're going to your aunt Mary's house. The only other person she lives with is a female roommate. No men for you to tempt."
Sid's mom demanded.
Later that night, Sid snuck out of the house and stole a bottle of whiskey from a 24 hour convenience store. The cops weren't called and she got away with it.
Sid enjoyed her time with her Aunt. But, her mother cut it short after she realized that Aunt Mary and her roommate were more than friends.
Sid getting in an argument with her mom or coming back from jail, then her mom not wanting her around. Her mom taking her to a relatives house and them finding a reason to get rid of her, became a constant cycle in her life until her mother died when she was 16.
Even after that, her dad and stepmother would threaten to kick her out, to the point where she boarded herself up in her room to stop them.
She often changed schools and had trouble making and keeping friends. For most of her youth, Sid felt rejected by the entire world.
1987-
"We want you to come with us."
Kakyoin continued, Jotaro nodded his head in agreement. Kakyoin outstretched his hand toward Sid.
"I'm not used to this, I'm used to people wanting to kick me to the curb."
Sid responded, genuinely unsure what to do. Jotaro pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes.
"We may have only known each other for a few days but, you're family and I want you to come with us. I'm sorry that the old man and whatever other family you have screwed you over."
Jotaro stated.
"You're right, I have gotten screwed over by my family, so why should I trust you?"
Sid questioned.
"Because we should go inside, we could catch a cold out here."
Jotaro replied. He recalled his mom saying that all the time when it was raining. It used to endlessly annoy him but, after what happened to his mom, he realized it was because she cared.
"Ya know, no one has ever said that to me."
Sid recalled with a chuckle and a few tears.
"Overall, I'm just tired of all this bizarre shit happening in my life. Do you think after this, it'll be over?"
Sid questioned.
"Maybe,"
Kakyoin answered.
"Better than a no."
Sid responded. With that she walked over to them, gave Kakyoin's outstretched hand a high five and walked back into the hotel. Jotaro and Kakyoin were in shock and stood, frozen in their spot.
"How did..."
Kakyoin sounded confused.
"I didn't think that line was going to work."
Jotaro replied.
"Sometimes it's the simplest gesture."
Kakyoin noted with a slight chuckle.
"Are you guys trying to run away now or are you coming inside?"
Sid shouted from the hotel door.
"Good freaking grief, I guess you're right."
Jotaro replied, the two of them started walking arm in arm to the door.
"She might have realized she doesn't have the money to run off either."
Kakyoin muttered to Jotaro as they walked to the door. Jotaro nodded his head in agreement. They got back to their room and turned on the room's heater. They took turns going to the bathroom to change out of their rain soaked clothes. Sid had wrapped her hair up in a towel.
"I don't think they have washers or dryers here. If they did, Mr. Joestar would've told us to do our laundry."
Kakyoin mentioned. Sid grabbed her clothes and started wringing them out in the shower. She came out and grabbed one of the hangers from the mini closet and hung her clothes above one of the heater vents. She found another one of the vents and put her boots upside down over it.
Sid was visibly shaking while doing the same for Kakyoin and Jotaro's clothing.
"I was staying with my grandparents when it was pouring down like it is tonight. It did that a lot in Seattle, well she lived in a suburb of Seattle but, that's not the point. Her dryer was broken and she taught me that method."
Sid pointed to the 3 hangers of clothing, hanging from the rod where the window curtains were placed. Sid continued,
"Oddly enough, this is the first time I've had to use this method since then. First time for a lot of things. I've usually been kicked out into the rain, not stopped from walking away in it. You're the first people to know about Charlie. Hell, it's the first time I've left the states."
Sid stated.
"Now that you know we're a couple, would you be offended if I slept in the same bed as him?"
Kakyoin asked.
"What? No, how is it my business what bed you sleep in? Plus I get the other full size bed to myself now. That pull out couch bed is awful, really hurt my back."
Sid rambled on.
"Are you close with your grandmother?"
Kakyoin suddenly asks Sid.
"Huh?"
Sid is taken aback.
"You said you learned to put clothes on a hanger over the heater vent from your grandmother, are you close with her?"
Kakyoin rephrased his question. Sid lit a cigarette, the lighter visibly shaking in her hand.
"Used to be. She decided she didn't want me around anymore when I was 13."
Sid took a drag off her cigarette.
"I'm tired, let's get some shut eye after I finish my smoke."
Sid stated. Within a few minutes Sid had finished her cigarette and they went to bed. The next morning Sid woke up she saw Kakyoin was asleep and Jotaro had left. She went to the bathroom to get dressed and quietly left the room as to not wake up Kakyoin. She walked down the hallway and lit a cigarette. She didn't quite know why but, she had a skip in her step as she made her way to Joseph and Avdol's room. She got there and knocked on the door.
"It's Sid,"
She shouted through the door. Joseph opened the door,
"Do you know where Jotaro went?"
Sid asked, rocking back and forth between her toes and heels.
"Jotaro, Kakyoin and Anne went to the cable car station to get tickets for our train to India. They figured you needed rest so, they let you sleep."
Joseph replied. Sid stopped rocking back and forth and had a puzzled look on her face.
"Pops, I just saw Kakyoin asleep in my hotel room."
Sid replied. Joseph was pleasantly surprised by Sid referring to him in a parental manner. He didn't have much time to worry about that,
"My stand, Hermit Purple, told us to watch out for Kakyoin, that he was a traitor."
Joseph recalled.
"That kid, nuh uh."
Sid responded.
"Mr. Joestar, is it possible that the Kakyoin that left with Jotaro and Anne is an imposter."
Just as Avdol finished his sentence, the phone rang. Joseph picked up the phone.
"Ok, thanks for letting us know."
Joseph responded to the caller after a moment and hung up the phone.
"Avdol, it looks like your hunch was right. Sid, take this and run as fast as you can to the cable car station."
Joseph requested and handed Sid a first aid kit. Sid ran out of the hotel, realizing she had no clue where the station was. Sid looked to the horizon and saw the cable cars and followed the lines to their natural conclusion. She got to the station and couldn't find Jotaro and there didn't seem to be much of a commotion pointing to one specific direction. She glanced toward the water and saw blood. She followed it to find Jotaro and another man fighting in the water. She snuck up to the man Jotaro was fighting. Soundgarden grabbed a large bass guitar out of thin air and struck the man in the back of the head with it.
"I was trying to get information out of him."
Jotaro complained.
"Is he still conscience?"
Sid asked. Jotaro felt for Rubber Soul's pulse.
"Still alive, he's probably playing dead so, he withdrew his stand. He could have fainted if it wasn't for the fact his stand withdrew. Avdol told me that if you faint or go to sleep with your stand active, then your stand will stay active because your brain is still active."
Jotaro replied.
"I'm so tired of this bizarre bullshit."
Sid replied. Soundgarden grabbed Rubber Soul by the collar of his shirt and pulled his head up just above the waterline. Sid kneeled down and put her face above Rubber Soul's. As if she was domineering over him. Soundgarden, while still holding him, backhanded him across the face. Rubber Soul opened his eyes, knowing his game of playing dead didn't work.
"Tell us everything you know and I won't kick your ass any further."
Sid forcefully told Rubber Soul.
"I don't know anything, I swear. I'm just in it for the money."
Rubber Soul tried to reason. Sid held Rubber Soul's chin lightly in her hand.
"That's not going to work for me. You see, working for DIO doesn't seem like your typical 9 to 5 but, he has to have some way of hiring people. And if you don't talk, you get the shock."
Sid said in a sultry tone. Soundgarden took out a pair of live, cut, electrical wires.
"Jotaro, get out of the water, play times over!"
Sid shouted, not knowing what was coming over her. Whatever it was she didn't have the energy to stop it. Jotaro got out of the water and sat on the edge of the water, facing the street.
"Good grief, she's going nuts."
Jotaro thought to himself.
"You see, if I think you're lying or withholding information from me, I drop you and these wires into the water. If you don't want to be fried rubber, then you'll tell me everything you know."
Sid let go of his chin so he could speak.
"An old lady with a stick showed up to my house and gave me the offer. It seemed like free money so I took it. They never showed me their stands and I've never actually seen or talked to DIO. The only thing I know is that the man with two right hands goes by the name of Centerfold and his stand has a lot to do with mirrors. I swear, that's all I know."
Rubber Soul wimpered. Jotaro noticed a yellow blob slowly coming out of the manhole in front of him. In a barrage of punches and "Ora"'s, Rubber Soul was retired.
"What the hell, I was going to get more information out of the guy."
Sid complained.
"Good freaking grief, you were about to get consumed by his stand. His stand started crawling out of the manhole."
Jotaro replied.
"Oh shit, I guess I got carried away. It's been an insane past few days for everyone. I guess I just kind of snapped. Hold on, let me see if you have any wounds."
Sid tried to reason.
"He mainly just got my hand."
Jotaro showed Sid the hand Yellow Temperance had injured.
"This part is going to hurt."
Sid told Jotaro as she used a sterilized pad on the injury. She perfectly wrapped his pinky and palm in gauze. Sid helped Jotaro up and they started walking towards the ticket booth.
"How did you know how to dress my injury so well?"
Jotaro asked.
"I first met Charlie during my first time in jail. I was working as the nurses assistant. Handing out ice packs and medication, wrapping up minor wounds. Pretty basic stuff. I didn't get very good at wrapping up wounds until I met her. She's calmed down since leaving but, back then her temper was like a fire that couldn't be extinguished. She got into fights at least once a week. She would always get sent to me to get patched up. I often caught myself getting lost in her eyes, so blue you could imagine yourself swimming in them. Wanting to hold her pale hands in my own. Her hair was the color of an orange creamsicle you would get on a summers day. I swore she was the most beautiful person in the world. Apparently she felt the same way as me and that's why she got into so many fights, to come see me. Before I left I gave her my number and address and the rest is history."
Sid rambled while answering Jotaro's question. They got to the booth to get their tickets but, there was a line. While they were waiting Sid felt someone hug her from behind. She turned around and it was Anne.
"Once we get back to the hotel and I get my things, I'm leaving you guys to go be with my dad."
Anne told Sid and Jotaro. Sid got down on her knees to get to Anne's level. She took Anne's hands in her hands.
"Do you have your pocket knife?"
Sid asked.
"Yes."
Anne replied.
"Do you have your Dad's phone number and where you're going written down and with you?"
Sid asked.
"Yes."
Anne replied.
"Do you promise to be safe and not accept anything from strangers? Not money, not something to eat or drink and most certainly not a ride?"
Sid sternly asked.
"Yes, oh my gosh I'm not going to get kidnapped."
Anne replied.
"I need you to understand that if we were people with bad intentions, things would be a lot worse for you right now."
Sid firmly told Anne.
"Ok, ok, get off my case."
Anne replied.
"Alright, I'll let you be, I just don't want you to get hurt."
Sid threw up her hands, letting the situation go. Sid saw a bit of herself in the girl. She wondered if her mom had thrown her out the same way her mother did.
"When we get back to the hotel, I have something I want to give you."
Sid told Anne. Jotaro and Sid got the train tickets and went back to the hotel with Anne. They got back to their room, it looked like Kakyoin had woken up and left the room. Sid paid no mind to it and rummaged through her luggage, she grabbed a jewlery box.
"My aunt gave me a pair of what I assume are ruby earring as a keepsake before she died. These aren't the exact ones as their still at home but, they're close enough. I bought the fake pair as a comfort item, so I would have what resembled a peice of her on my journey. My aunt loved traveling and was the most couragous person I knew. I know their not the real ones but, I want you to have them none the less."
Sid offered to Anne. They were stud earrings with golden posts. Anne took them, marveling at how they shined in the sun that came through the window.
"Thank you very much, I'll wear them everyday."
Anne thanked Sid, a small tear in her eye. Anne put the earrings in her ear.
"I'm really sorry but, I've got to run now. Goodbye."
Anne regretfully told Sid and Jotaro. Giving them each a hug before running out of the room, a few tears streaming down her face. Jotaro and Sid started packing their things. Sid knew that she was going to miss Anne.
"She's a good kid, I hope she stays safe."
Sid thought aloud, not thinking that anyone would respond.
"Yeah,"
Jotaro replied.
"We need to get going, the train is leaving soon."
Kakyoin informed Jotaro and Sid as he walked in the door. They got their things and met with Avdol, Joseph and Polnareff in the hotel lobby. They walked to the train station and got on their train. They chose a table with four seats around it, Kakyoin and Sid on one side and Joseph and Jotaro on the other. Avdol and Polnareff chose an two seats behind them.
"I think we should let them have their family time, don't you think?"
Avdol asked Polnareff as he sat down.
"Yeah, I guess but, then why does Kakyoin get to be over there?"
Polnareff complained. Avdol ignored him and they both sat down.
"I've wanted to tal-"
Joseph was interrupted.
"Did you ever call your friend back? I think they have a phone booth a few cars down."
Kakyoin reminded Sid.
"No, I haven't, I'll go do that now before a line starts to form around the phone."
Sid got up and walked a to the booth. She grabbed out the few coins she had and jammed them into the phone's coin slot. She grabbed the paper with Charlie's number out of her bra and punched in the numbers.
"Hey, is it Charlie?"
Sid asked
"Yes, are you in Vancouver already?"
Charlie sounded over the moon. It was going to crush Sid to do this.
"Look, I don't have much time because I'm at a payphone and don't have anymore coins. But, what's happening out here became personal. I started out not giving a fuck about any of the people I'm traveling with but, I realized this could be an oppertunity to have more family and though I love you very much, you're the only family I have. If somethign happened to you I'd have no one left and though I don't think anything will happen to you, if somethign did, I wouldn't want to have no one."
Sid rambled out as fast as she could. Sid winced, expecting the worst.
"I understand, maybe I could meet them someday. They would be like inlaws of sorts."
Charlie replied.
"Yeah, thank you for understanding."
Sid replied.
"Please insert more funds."
The phone alerted that their time was almost up.
"I don't have any more coins, I love you, I've got to go."
Sid sounded disappointed.
"I love you too, stay safe out there."
Charlie replied.
"I wi-"
Sid tried to answer her but, the phone cut off. Sid hung up the phone and went back to her seat.
"How was the call?"
Kakyoin asked.
"It was good, just a bit disappointed because our call was cut sort because I didn't have enough coins."
Sid replied.
"Sid, I've been meaning to ask you, what was your childhood like? I've heard you talk about bits and pieces of it and my guilty conscience is eating away at me. I need to know it wasn't that awful."
Joseph begged.