The Forgotten Stardust Crusader

Garden Of Stone (Reprise)

She opened the notebook and read through it.
"This is Kakyoin's handwriting."
She muttered to herself.
"I hate to be accusatory but, could you write a sentance down here in your normal handwriting?"
Kakyoin's mom asked the group, pointing to an empty spot in the notebook near some of Kakyoin's school notes. Jotaro wrote,
"This is the handwriting of Jotaro Kujo."
In Japanese. Sid wrote,
"This is the handwriting of Sid Joestar-Kujo."
In English next to Jotaro's writing. Joseph wrote,
"This is the handwriting of Joseph Joestar."
In English next to Sid's writing. Kakyoin's mom picked the notebook up and read the writing.
"Only one of you can write in Japanese and that handwriting looks quite different from Noriaki's. I have no reason to suspect any of you harmed my son. I'll look through his things and keep in contact. Thank you for telling me the truth, is the phone number you called me from a good way to contact you?"
Kakyoin's mom asked.
"Yes, if you have any questions for me specifically, I'll only be in Japan for the next month. Then, I'll be returning to my home in New York."
Joseph explained. Kakyoin's mom started flipping through the notebook.
"You're Sid Joestar, right? Kakyoin wrote a will on one of the pages in here. It says that he wants you to speak at his funeral. Something about how you had something nice to say about a brief memorial you had for an enemy named Enyba. Though, you just wrote your last name as Joestar-Kujo."
Kakyoin's mother explained.
"Yeah, I remember him saying that to me after the memorial. I recently had a last name change so, I wrote my last name as my new one when you asked to check our handwriting."
Sid replied. Kakyoin's father came home, introduced himself and sat down with them. They arranged for a funeral time in a couple weeks at a nearby park infront of a lake. It stated in Kakyoin's will that he wanted his ashes spread across that lake. They stayed and talked with Kakyoin's parents for another couple of hours then made their way back to the Kujo mansion. Sid knocked on the sliding door to Holy's room.
"Come in."
Holy cheerily announced. Sid slid the door open and took her shoes off, leaving them outside the room.
"I don't know if this is a better question for dad or not but, I need clothes for a funeral... and for the next month until my things hopefully start showing up. I hate to ask you for money this early on but..."
Sid nervously asked Holy.
"What, we're family. Don't worry about it. I've always wanted a female relitive to go shopping with since I moved here. You'll need a school uniform aswell. Is it ok if I invite mom?"
Holy cheerily replied.
"Of course but, a school uniform?"
Sid questioned.
"Yes, you'll be starting in April with Jotaro as a highschool senior. Don't worry, his school is pretty relaxed on the uniforms. As long as it's semiformal and you wear it everyday. Don't worry, that jacket with the chain he wears all the time is his school uniform so, if he can wear that you have plenty of options. They less so give guidelines and more so ask new students to come down at some point during summer and have you show them a few ideas and they approve what ideas you can and can't wear. Don't worry, I don't mind what you wear as long as you're happy. Plus, you would be an adult in the states so, I won't tell you what to do."
Holy explained.
"So they won't force me to wear a skirt?"
Sid nervously asked.
"No, when I'm there for parent night, I've seen girls in slacks and even some jeans. Oh, I'll go ask Jotaro what he wants to wear next year."
Holy stated as she and Sid walked out of the room. Sid made her way to the kitchen to get a snack. Sid got a wrapped pastery and sat at the empty table.
"Now's a good a time as any."
She thought to herself. She quickly grabbed a small metal capsule from her pocket and grabbed one of her painkillers out of it. She quickly got up and got a small glass of water and used it to swallow her pill. She dumped the rest of the water into the sink, dried the cup and put it back in the cupboard where she found it. She sat back down and felt all of her anixeties melt away.
"The higher you are, the farther you fall. The longer the walk, the farther you crawl."
Sid quietly sang to herself as she nodded off. She fell asleep with her head on the table. Sid awoke to a few sets of footsteps heading for the kitchen and quickly sat back up and wyped the gunk from her eyes.
"Sorry it took so long, we were talking about what store to go to."
Suzi apologized as she, Holy and Jotaro walked in the kitchen.
"No worries, do you guys have any coffee?"
Sid asked.
"We do in the tea room. Let's have some coffee or tea in the tea house before we leave."
Holy stated. Everyone moved to the tea house and had a cup before leaving to go shopping. They all got in the car and Holy started driving.
"I forgot to ask. Sid, do you know how to drive?"
Holy asked.
"No, I was never taught how."
Sid admitted.
"That's okay, I can teach you."
Holy cheerily replied.
"Mom, where are we going?"
Jotaro asked.
"The mall, I figured that we would be able to find something everyone likes there."
Holy cheerily answered.
After their shopping trip, two weeks had passed and the date of Kakyoin's funeral arrived. The entire family got ready as Holy and Suzi had been invited for emotional support for Jotaro, Joseph and Sid. Sid wore a white button up shirt, a black tie, a black button up cardigan and a pair of black jeans. Holy helped Sid put her hair up in a heavily hairsprayed bun.
"Good God, the smell reminds me of when I would have my hair put up like this for the end of year shows my dance company would put on."
Sid stated after coughing.
"You were a dancer?"
Holy cheerily asked.
"Yeah, I was a tap dancer for a few years in elementry school."
Sid admitted.
"Why did you quit?"
Holy asked.
"Because I got tired of my hair crunching more than a potato chip."
Sid quipped. Everyone else finished getting ready. Joseph wore an all black suit with a white button up shirt. Jotaro wore the same except with the jacket of his school uniform instead of a suit jacket. Holy wore a black dress and heels. Suzi wore something similar except with black ballet flats. Holy and Sid made their way to the gate where everyone else was waiting.
"Jotaro, are you really wearing your uniform jacket? At least you're not wearing your hat."
Holy questioned Jotaro. Jotaro shrugged his shoulders and Holy thought it was best to drop it. They started walking to the park where the funeral was being held.
"Jotaro, I'm sorry but, I should've asked sooner. Do you mind being my translator for what I wrote at the funeral? I read what I wrote down and take a break between sentances and you say it Japanese."
Sid nervously asked.
"Sure, why not."
Jotaro replied. They made their way to the park and took seats infront of the lake that had peices of paper with their names on them that were kept in place by small rocks. They saw one next to Joseph's chair with Polnareff's name on it.
"Do you think he'll be able to make it?"
Sid asked.
"He called the house the other day and I told him about the funeral. If he's not here soon then, I guess not. It's supposed to start at 15:30 and it's 15:25."
Joseph replied after looking at his watch. After five minutes had passed, Polnareff hadn't shown up and Kakyoin's mom walked to a podium infront of the rows of chairs.
"We came to gather here today in memory of my son, Noriaki Kakyoin. He died a hero who helped in deafeating an evil man. We will have Kakyoin's friend and his father say a few words. Then, we will spread his ashes in the lake. Afterwards, you may stay and talk with other guests. First, we'll have his friend, Sid say a few words."
Kakyoin's mom sat down in the front row. Sid and Jotaro made their way to the podium. Sid got out a couple peices of paper that she had written her speech on.
"Hi, my name is Sid Joestar-Kujo and this is my brother, Jotaro Kujo. I hope you don't mind but, I'm going to have him translate for me since I just moved to Japan from the states and don't know the language yet."
Sid read off the paper.
"こんにちは、私の名前はシド・ジョースター＝空条、こちらは私の弟、空条承太郎です。気にしないでほしいですが、私はアメリカから日本に来たばかりでまだ言葉がわからないので、彼に通訳してもらいます"
Jotaro stated.
"I knew Noriaki Kakyoin for fifty days."
Sid stated.
"花京院典明を知ってから50日"
Jotaro stated.
"You may say or think that that's not a very long time, which is very understandable."
Sid read off the paper, trying to look at the people instead of the paper.
"それはそれほど長い時間ではないと言うか、そう思うかもしれませんが、それは非常に理解できます"
Jotaro stated.
"Many of you have know him his whole life or, your whole life."
Sid stated.
"皆さんの多くは彼の生涯を、あるいは生涯を通じて彼のことを知っています。"
Jotaro stated.
"While I'll never claim to know him as well as you do, that's still 4,320,000 seconds, 72,000 minutes or, 1,200 hours."
Sid read.
"私はあなたほど彼のことをよく知っているとは決して言いませんが、それでも 4,320,000 秒、72,000 分、つまり 1,200 時間です。"
Jotaro stated.
"During that time, Noriaki Kakyoin became a brother to me."
Sid stated, holding back tears.
"その間に花京院典明は弟になった"
Jotaro stated as he also held back tears.
"He was a highly intelligent voice of reason in a group of impuslive idiots like me."
Sid kept reading, tears fell onto the peice of paper.
"彼は私のような衝動的な愚か者のグループの中で、非常に知的な理性の声でした"
Jotaro stated as he struggled to translate Sid's words through tears. Sid gripped onto Jotaro's forearm as if to brace herself.
"I sustained an almost deadly wound in my upper stomach during our journey."
Sid stated.
"旅の途中でお腹の上部に瀕死の重傷を負ってしまいました"
Jotaro stated as he wondered why she was bringing up her own injry at a time like this.
"旅の途中でお腹の上部に瀕死の重傷を負ってしまいました."

"Kakyoin helped change my bandages when I couldn't and, when we spent Christmas together, he gifted me a pillow that helped with the pain of standing up from said injury."
Sid read off her paper.
"花京院は私が包帯を変えることができなかったときに手伝ってくれましたし、クリスマスを一緒に過ごしたとき、怪我から立ち上がるときの痛みを和らげる枕をプレゼントしてくれました。"
Jotaro translated after taking a deep breath.
"Kakyoin cared enough about others to ask about what they were reading, listening to, what they were writing and about their past."
Sid read while forcing back tears.
"花京院は他人のことを十分に気にかけていて、何を読んでいるのか、何を聞いているのか、何を書いているのか、そして過去について尋ねました"
Jotaro stated.
"Now, he will join family, friends and the others lost during our journey in the Garden Of Stone."
Sid read while looking at the others at the funeral.
"これから彼は、石の庭での私たちの旅の間に失われた家族、友人、その他の人たちに加わることになります。"
Jotaro stated. They both thanked everyone for listening to what they had to say and walked back to their seats, spotting that Polnareff had made their way in as Sid and Jotaro were speaking. They sat down and listened to Kakyoin's father's speech. After he finished, he asked everyone to stand in front of the lake. Sid walked to the front of the lake and stood in between Jotaro and Polnareff. She watched as Kakyoin's mom opened the urn and the ashes slowly fell into the lake.