MAGO - Stardust Crusaders X OC

Chapter Fifteen: Friday, December 16

The rest of the journey passed in a haze, with the seats how they had been before, with Sana rather unceremoniously squashed in the back. They were about to hit the border, Noriaki said. Sana looked out at the dusty road that they were driving on.

"I guess it's time to say goodbye to India," Noriaki murmured, looking at the map he held in his hands. Yes. The Indian leg of their journey was over, and they hadn't had a break throughout most of it. Still, Sana quite liked India, and maybe she would take up Mr Avdol's offer of coming back some day. That would be nice.

"You know, I used to have mixed feelings about the place," Mr Joestar said, from Sana's left. "But now, I kinda miss the hustle and bustle of Calcutta, and the frenetic chaos of the Ganges."

Jotaro hummed, and nodded, and then proceeded to keep staring out of the window. Sana was jealous of his seat. Still, she got to look out of the front, so it wasn't so bad...

"I'll be coming back again, one of these days," Polnareff said, from the driver's seat. "I owe it to Avdol to give him a proper burial."

Sana looked at her hands again. He didn't know, because they hadn't told him, and his voice was steady, but-

Polnareff, I'm so sorry.

Mr Joestar and Jotaro hummed beside Sana, with some odd mix of feigned sadness and, maybe, guilt. Noriaki sighed, almost wistfully. "Ah... Mr Avdol."

There was a moment of silence, and then Polnareff spoke. "The road is getting narrower."

"Hm?" Noriaki said, looking up from the map.

Polnareff was right. The road was getting narrower, and there was some car up ahead that was taking up pretty much all of it. Not to mention the fact that it was driving slowly, and then it revved, getting dust in Polnareff's face. He coughed.

"Quit driving so slow, idiot!" he yelled. "You're getting in the way!" and then he dropped his tone. "I'm gonna pass the guy."

He did, and did it fast, kicking up a storm of dust behind them, and sending pebbles flying into the other car. Polnareff grinned, and sped up more. "This four-wheel drive is great!"

"Polnareff, calm down," Noriaki said. Polnareff only laughed.

"You know, that crazy manoeuvre of yours might just have damaged that poor car," Mr Joestar said.

"Yeah? Your point?" Polnareff said.

"I'm saying we don't need any more trouble now," Mr Joestar said. "I'm wanted because of what happened in Varanasi. I'd like to get across the border in one piece."

It was a good point. Sana inwardly sighed. There was never a dull moment with this group. Still, she wouldn't change her decision of coming along. It would just be nice to have another week of normal travel, like they'd had on the way to Calcutta. That was all she was asking for.

And then Polnareff slammed on the brakes, as if to deliberately spoil Sana's wish. She jerked forwards in her seat, and was pulled back by her seatbelt. What the hell was that about?

"What's up? Why'd you stop?" Noriaki asked.

"I told you! A crash could be disastrous!" Mr Joestar yelled.

"I know that! Just-" Polnareff gestured out of the windscreen. "Look who's standing there!"

Sana did. And lo and behold, there was a kid wearing overalls and a pink shirt. Once again, she was wearing a hat to hide her hair, and she held up her thumb in the standard hitchhiker gesture.

It was odd, because Sana never thought she'd see Anne again. Yet here she was, hitchhiking on the exact road that the group was driving on. So where was she trying to go? Pakistan, too?