How many hours that had passed, Diana didn't know as she opened her eyes. The blue sky that trapped everything inside of the cruel earth stared down upon her. A puffy white cloud went by before her brain had its first thought. Where's Adelio? That was the first thought she had. No, no that wasn't what she had been taught. Where am I? Was the new question. Diana forced her muscles to work and she sat up, her spine aching of stiffness. A smokey oder polluted her nose as her vision focused on Hol Horse. A cigarette was laying loosely in his mouth while he focused on driving.
"Glad to see you've stopped napping, sweetheart." Hol Horse didn't even have to glance over to see she was confused. "Just think for a moment. It'll come back to you."
Sure enough, memories faded back and replayed on Diana's eyes. Every tiny and explicit detail was there as if she was back in the place where it had happened. Okay, staying calm was a key component to this whole situation. Diana tried to analyze her current position.
Okay. Ajna doesn't want to kill Polnareff or any of the group for that matter. Polnareff knows what my true intentions were. Hol Horse...I think he rescued me from Enyaba's minions? I'm now in a car somewhere. Adelio was left behind. Adelio doesn't know the change of plan.
"Remember yet?" Hol Horse tossed his cigarette outside of the car and chuckled as he exhaled his last puff of smoke. "We've been driving for a while now Mrs.. In case you're wonderin', we're still in Pakistan." There was a moment of silence. Diana yeeted herself out of the car and landed with a nice roll on the dirt floor. She had to get back to her son. He didn't know. He had to know or they might kill him if he succeeded with murder of one of their own.
"Dammit woman!" Hol Horse's foot stomped on the break but he wasn't going to be able to catch up. Diana was bolting as hard as she could in the opposite direction. There was a small thud. Diana quickly turned around on the toe of her right foot to see what she had dropped. The only thing she had left of him. The necklace. Extending a hand to grab it, Hol Horse stepped on the chain.
"Get. Off." Her pearly whites looked thirsty and her eyes looked furious. Yeah, he wasn't winning that one. Hol Horse took his boot off of the golden chain.
"We have to get to where we're going-," He grabbed her wrist.
"Why?! I have to-," she tried to pull away.
"Mrs. Diana, I don't think you understand that if word gets back to your father about you 'changing your mind' about killing them, he'll send relentless attacks on them. Possibly even you. I have to get you to safety." Diana loosened under the pure truth.
"H-he wouldn't hurt me (I think)...but, you are right about them...Alright, let's head out," her voice turned melancholy. Often times the realization that some situations are hopeless can be rather crushing.
Diana hopped back into the car, fiddling with her necklace in her fingers. The rough terrain speedily passed by as her thoughts were locked on other matters. The silence was deadly like poison.
"So, uhm, why is that necklace so important to ya?"
"It's not something I want to talk about." Diana rather mundanely mumbled.
Hol Horse sighed, "Alright Mrs.. you're not too talkative are you?" Silence. "Look, I'm sorry. From the few times I've seen your son, he's looked cold. Like you. He'll be fine."
"I have to be cold. How else do you think I've gotten this far?"
One more hour passed before Hol Horse parked the rough looking car and jumped out of the car. He opened the car door for Diana. Her arms were crossed as she looked down, still in a foul mood.
"Wait out here, I'll go check out a room," he sighed. Hol Horse was like a weary father, dragging around his hangry toddler. He signed up to kill the Crusaders, not take care of Dio's moody child. What was he gonna do next, feed her by force?
Diana followed him anyways and sat in a chair while she waited. Entire Pony reached into his boot and pulled out a wallet that was stuffed with cold hard cash. Paying for it, he stepped back and gestured for him to follow along. Flopping on one of the queen sized beds, Hol Horse lit another cigarette.
"You're going to kill your lungs." Diana's eyes were closed as she plotted on how to get away from Le Horse.
"Honey, I'm gonna be dead long before then. Most gunslingers don't live long lives."
"Tch," She pushed herself off of her bed and headed for the exit. "I'm going to get drunk. I'll be in the bar if you need me."
"Might as well join you."
Adelio's eyes were fixed on his knife. Long, shiny, sharp. He was focused on it's blade, wondering what it would look like coated with warm red. Looking back at his reflection on the blade was difficult. He looked like a mad man, completely insane.
Everything had played out like it was supposed to. Steely Dan failed to kill any of the group as expected. It was perfect for Adelio. They trusted him now, and he could easily kill them off one by one. He would have to be quick about it. One night at a hotel was all he needed. Night was a good time for slaughter. So, he waited in a mental phase of nothingness until night. His mind and thoughts were gone. His orders were all that remained, like programming in a computer.
Adelio was laying under his sheets, stroking his knife pleasantly. He thought he hungered for blood. Any excuse that could cover up his regrettable murder would work. Anything at all.
As soon as he heard the faint snores of slumber, his head slightly popped up to faintly see a sleeping Kakyoin in the bed next to his and Jotaro on the farthest bed in the dark. Stealth training was paying off as he nimbly walked on his toes, quiet as a mouse to his first victim, Kakyoin.
Adelio looked down on his friend's face. He looked peaceful, his cherry curl resting softly on the side of his face. He raised his knife. Yeah, right in the jugular. He wouldn't be able to scream and he'd die quickly. Then after that he could kill Jotaro in the same way. Getting caught would be deadly.
Forgive me, Adelio swung his knife down quickly to end the job. A hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him from reaching his goal. Two violet eyes stared up at him.
There weren't too many people in the bar that night. Black peered in through the window and the moonlight glistened on the wide variety of golden alcoholic beverages. The whole room was filled with amber lighting.
Diana took a seat on one of the bar stools, ready to get drunk. The bartender walked up to her, clearly ignoring the pain that showed on her face. He probably saw people like that all of the time. Ready for a drink. Lonely. Desolate. Possibly suicidal.
"Whiskey please," she mumbled. Hol Horse caught up with her and sat down.
"Sir, I'll pay for her drink. Give me your strongest." He slapped a few Pakistani rupees on the counter. The bartender's face was remained still and cold but he went t fetch the drinks. Diana had a grateful spark form within her but she couldn't let herself forget that this man stole her from her friends and son.
"Ms. Diana, I uh... I'm sorry for taking you away from them. Your safety was important to me, so I did what I thought was best. If you could find it in your heart to-,"
"It's okay, Hol Horse," she smiled. "You've been too kind to me, so I can only thank you. Thank you for putting up with me." She smiled and took a sip of her whiskey. It was nothing compared to the wine back at her home in England.
"Tch! I'd like to see if any of these drinks can get me drunk!" Her tone of confidence might boson be broken.
"Really sweetheart? I'll let you take a few sips of mine then." He nudged his golden intoxicating drink towards her.
"Alright, 'sweetheart'," she mocked him in a flirtatious yet challenging manner.
An hour later, Diana and Hol Horse were dead drunk. Well, Diana more so than Hol Horse. The dance floor was open and the two were stumbling around. The two could barely think straight.
"H-hey! We-uh,- we should dAnCe!" Diana grabbed a mad man laughing Hol Horse over to the dance floor. She rested his arms around his shoulders and rested her head in his shoulder. He put his arms around her waist in an unsure manner.
HooOoOoOooolll HhHoooOrRssSE," Diana was almost asleep on his shoulder.
"Y-yeah, mIsSy?" He chuckled to himself.
"I like that na-hiccup-name."
"R-really? Whgjtnrjwhdba, I do, too."
"I really t-think you're great, Hol Horsey," she couldn't even think straight.
"You're not so bad yerself, Ms. Diana-," Diana pressed her lips against his. A blush immediately found its way onto the cowboy's face. It felt so wrong but so right. He didn't know what to do. He was use to a woman's lips, but hers were different. He didn't do anything about it. Hol Horse backed up into some big guy, ready for a fight.
"Oi, watch where you're going you wannabe cowboy bastard!"
"Who are you calling c-cowboy?"
"You, you moron. I'll let you off the hook on one condition." There was a nasty smile full of yellow teeth sitting on his poorly shaved face.
"Oh yeah? And what might that be?"
"I wanna play with your little lady," he chuckled, his friends by his side.
"In your dreams you pervert. Lil Missy just wants to dance, leave her a-alone." And thus, the bar fight began. The big one had Hol Horse pinned in his arms while the others beat him relentlessly. He looked about ready to just die.
"HEY, YOU. PUT. HIM. DOWN." Diana was not having it anymore.
"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do if we don't?"
A black figure emitted from Diana. Faded rainbows covered it's waste band. Hit was golden in many areas, including the slits that were its eyes. It's fingers curled into a fist and a distorted sound came from it.
"MUDA!" The man who was beating Hol Horse was flung across the room.
That "cowboy" is the nicest man I've met in a really long time! HE'S BEEN NOTHING BUT A SWEETHEART TO ME AND HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO DEAL WITH MEAN BASTARDS LIKE YOU!" Her voice gradually got louder and louder.
"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!" The jerks were on the floor, bleeding. The bartender was hiding under the counter screaming, "GET OUT! GET OUT OF HERE IMMEDIATELY!"
She picked him up bridal style and ran as fast as she could back to their hotel room. Diana had to briefly put him down to scan the hotel card on the scanner. Picking him back up, she closed the door with her foot and gently laid him down on one of the beds on his back. She became less and less drunk with every step. Intoxication didn't stick with her long considering she drank alcohol like it was water.
I-I'm sorry!" She ripped his top and hat off to reveal bloody bruises that had already began to form. Running to the mini freezer in their room, Diana took out as many ice packs that were in there. Five. Why on earth would there be five ice packs in a freezer? No time to ponder that.
Upon cold contact, Hol Horses's eyes groggily opened and his teeth were immediately clenched, wincing with pain. Diana had a glass of water and some pain meds in her hand. Helping him sit up, she helped him swallow the pills by lifting up his head.
"D-Diana..." he groaned.
"Shhhhh. You're gonna be okay. Just rest." He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Diana sat up against the bed frame and soon fell asleep herself. Small groans in the night would wake her up, but she would softly caress her wounded cowboy's face, and gently shush him. Her last memory was of pummeling the men with Rainbow in the Dark. But...she felt like something had wholeness before that. Her thoughts would go in and out of thinking as she slept and calmed Hol Horse. And then, morning came around.
There wasn't a word that was said. Adelio could only stare down into those innocent eyes and feel fear. Jojo was going to wake up. He was going to die here.
"Adelio." Kakyoin sat up, still holding Lio's wrist with the knife still grasped firmly in it.
"I...I," he dropped the knife, looking at his hands. Realization struck him. He would have killed his only friend. He was that cruel. He was that cold.
Adelio fell to his knees and put his hands to his head, shaking it. He felt like his head was going to burst. Little droplets of water hit the floor. His tears were unstoppable. A hoarse cry sounded.
"I-I'm so sorry! Kakyoin I'm so sorry!" His wails woke Jotaro up.
Kakyoin looked worried, but had a soft and kind look. He sat down on the floor next to Adelio and wrapped his arms round him, hugging him. He could feel the child's shaking body.
"Hey, don't cry. It's okay, I'm here buddy...I'm here." It was honey. Honey and silk and softness that calmed him. Every single word Kakyoin said was so soothing.
"IT'S NOT OKAY. I TRIED TO...TO MURDER YOU!" He backed away, grabbing his knife again. He brought it up to his own throat. He had no time to slice since Hierophant Green had already wrapped one of its tentacles around the knife and pulled it away from him.
"DAMMIT JUST LET ME DIE!"
"No. Listen here. I'm your friend. I suspected something like this would happen. Stand users are coming at us all day and all night trying to kill us and it didn't surprise me when Dio's daughter wanted to join us. I can only imagine what mental struggle you've been going through. But remember that I'm always here for you, and I don't care what you're ordered to do. None of this is your fault."
Adelio's breathing slowed and his tears slowly stopped. He lurched forward and embraced Kakyoin into a big hug. He clung into him, still slightly crying. He was like a helpless baby. After all of his mental and physical training and he was still just a helpless child. Noriaki patted him on the back with a calm smile.
"I care about you, Adelio. Don't forget it either." He was like an older brother to comfort the child. Jotaro rubbed his eyes and stood up out of bed, still in his tank green tank top. He took one look over at Adelio crying in Kakyoin's arms no then saw the knife.
"What's going on here?" Kujo's voice was raising slightly.
"It's nothing to be concerned about," Kakyoin looked over at him, still in his stripped pajamas.
"Then what the hell is that?" He nudged his head in the direction of the knife.
"I'll explain in the morning. Could you bring me a glass of water?"
"Yare yare daze...," Jotaro sighed and turned on the light. He grabbed a glass and turned the faucet on to fill it with water. Adelio fell back asleep in Nori's arms, his face covered in dried tears. It was odd how the backwards red 'L' on his face didn't come off when he cried. What was it anyways? A face tattoo? Really sticky war paint?
"You do realize that everyone heard that scream, right? You're gonna have some explaining to do." Jotaro sat on his bed and pulled his hat down over his face, trying to sleep once more.
"Well...yes. I suppose I will. But, I think Polnareff has a story to tell us as well."
So this, my friends, is Rainbow in the Dark