A Torn Journal - Noriaki Kakyoin - Status: Alive

Once Dead

My name is Noriaki Kakyoin.

I was once thought to be dead. And, well, it was true. That might not make much sense, but I swear I was dead. You, as the reader, probably don't understand yet, so I'll just tell my story.
We were hunting a master vampire. Dio, a madman. Already a vile soul, his power had gotten to his head and now he was a vicious monster, tearing down everyone in his way. There were six of us. Joseph Joestar and his grandson Jotaro, Avdol, Polnareff, Iggy, and myself.
Jotaro was quiet and dark. He hardly ever said anything encouraging or even kind for that matter. Deep down, however, he cared for us. He put his life on the line time and time again to save us. He was determined and brave, but sometimes his rage got the best of him. He would always come up with some sort of plan at the last second, and pull it off in ways that you never would've thought possible. Jotaro risked his life to save me from Dio's control on the day we met, and I will always be in his debt for that.
Joseph was a seasoned fighter and a good father. He used an old technique called Hamon, being able to turn his breath into energy that he could surge through his body to fight. Although often loud, he was generally fun to be around, and helped keep the group in order. He also loved his family and would do anything to protect them. He started on the journey to defeat Dio to save his daughter, Holly. He was a good person and a trustworthy companion.
Avdol was incredibly smart. He often knew what was best, and sometimes it would seriously cost us not to listen to him. He cared much for his friends, and the thought of losing one of us scared him. This fear went to the point that he would die if it meant one of his friends could be saved. But I'm more grateful for that than he could ever know, and I'm glad I got to travel with him. He was a powerful fighter, and although he sometimes seemed cocky during battles, he would usually pull through.
Polnareff was a noble man without an ounce of sense in his head. His swordsmanship was pristine, and he had spent much of his life hunting the man who killed his younger sister. Aside from his noble nature, he couldn't keep his sense when he encountered a good looking woman, and was often more hot-headed and stubborn than we could afford. More often than not, he came up with some half-thought plan that didn't always work out, but he typically got it right in the end. He had suffered loss throughout his life which made him hate the thought of losing a companion, and he cared deeply for all of us. Polnareff was a good friend to me.
Iggy was a rascal, and he was also a dog. I only traveled with him for about a day, because on the day he joined us I was injured. I spent quite a while recovering in a hospital, but was finally able to get to know him when I came back. For all the time I knew him he was brave and free-spirited, following his own noble path in life while looking out for us. I was told that he wasn't always like that, however, and that he previously hadn't cared for any of his companions. But he finally found his own reason to fight at some point, and helped us until the end.
And then there's me. In our battle with Dio, that monster used his Stand's time stopping ability to put a hole through me before I even had a chance to think.
While I'm on the subject, a Stand is a manifestation of one's fighting spirit, whether you're a man, woman, child, elder, or animal. Some people have Stands all their life, while others only have them for certain reasons. They protect us and help us with their incredible abilities. Only Stand-users can see other people's Stands, and only a Stand can defeat another Stand.
Mine is called Hierophant Green. He has quite a few abilities, some of which being more helpful than others. He can unravel his body into something like thread, which can be helpful to get into small places or to tie down a foe. He can also attack by throwing self-created emeralds that tear through the enemy, an attack I call the Emerald Splash. Finally, my Hierophant can possess people and creatures by entering their bodies. He can dictate their actions and attack through them, but I typically don't use that ability. Not only do I not have much of a reason to, Hierophant also has to completely enter the victim which can take more time than I have, and furthermore, it just doesn't seem right to control someone.
But my Hierophant Green couldn't save me from Dio. His attack was merciless, and I was powerless to stop it. He killed two of my companions, and if it hadn't been for Jotaro, he would've killed Joseph as well. But he at least made it out with his life. That's more than can be said about the others. Only he, Polnareff, and Jotaro made it out of there.
Only Joseph, Polnareff, and Jotaro. Not me. I was gone, killed by Dio's wrath. He tore through my stomach and threw me out like a piece of garbage. I didn't have any regrets. I was ready to die, and I knew that even then. It was my time to join the friends I had lost.
I was dead that day. I wasn't in a coma, I wasn't life-threateningly injured, and I wasn't unconscious. I was dead. My last moments had run out.

My name is Noriaki Kakyoin, and I'm alive.