Of Trusting Miss Jun
A fanfic by Setsumi-san
(Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King)
Tao Jun could not help being born. I reminded myself of that constantly every day. How was she, as a tiny baby, to know that my being her plaything was wrong? To her, having my enslaved body was as natural as breathing. It is not her fault.
These constant mantras were a way I convinced myself that I needed to completely get over my grudge. The worst of my fury was over and had been for quite some time. There had been some awkward progress in our relationship for the last few months. I was trying very hard to make amends with the girl; I really was. However… unbelievable shock and hostility still lay deep inside of me.
I knew I shouldn't still be bitter. What good would it do? Besides, now that I was her willing mochirei I could finish Daodan-do. My vision was all I had left. It's what drove me and made me temporarily forget about Tao Jun.
Yet sometimes an ugly little voice of vengeance inside of my head edged me on. Wouldn't you like to crush her spine? Think about stomping on it, hearing it crunch, and listening to her cry, it hissed.
One day that voice got so loud I needed to walk about the Tao manor as though escaping from a stalker. I remembered how Tao Jun remarked to that itako about how confused she was over right and wrong after Asakura Yoh defeated me and laughed. What did she have to whine about? She's filthy rich, has never worked one day in her life, can control a person's body, and see spirits. If I saw her now I would tell her exactly what I-wait a minute. There she was now in the garden…bleeding from her wrist?
Concerned, I went out toward the bench she sat on and cleared my throat. She jumped about a mile and faced me.
"Uh, I didn't mean to scare you," I said, "I thought I saw you injured."
She remained silent for a second and then replied, "You saw correctly."
I almost stumbled in surprise upon her presenting the wound. It wasn't just a little cut. This was a gash half an inch wide and four inches long! Blood flowed from it like wine from a bottle. Meanwhile, she just sat there as if it didn't exist!
Dumbfounded, I told her to hurry inside and bandage herself up. All she did was insist that the cut was nothing and she could tolerate it. I got angry with her, told her how crazy she was acting, and tried not to drag her inside myself. After much snapping and begging she finally agreed to take care of herself if I would listen to why the laceration didn't bother her. What else could I do but consent? With that we went inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As I watched her wrap herself in gauze I couldn't help but notice how annoyed she looked. She tried to hide it, but I could see the way her lips thinned into a wire like pout from time to time. It puzzled me. How on earth could she ignore her health like that? For the first time in an eternity I was concerned for her.
"Pyron," she began, "Do you want to know why that injury was not agonizing to me?"
"I do, Tao Jun," I said.
She took a deep breath and enlightened me, "You have been trained in martial arts for nearly all of your life, have you not?"
I nodded.
"I have been trained as well, but not in that sense of the word. I have been prepared to do anything and everything for my family all of my life. This means lying, deceiving, murder, and above all else…allegiance. However, if I refuse to be loyal…" It was at this point her hand shook the tiniest bit; as though holding a bomb of anger within her body. I waited for her to continue, intrigued.
"If I refuse to be loyal," she repeated, "this is what happens."
She pulled her dress up to the thighs and revealed a repulsive array of bruises, lacerations, and a few welts. I gasped in shock. She started to spin a thread of horror stories from her childhood telling of blood, gore, and sorrow. I would not have believed her if she had not shown me the dungeon in her own home. Soon I realized that this young woman was not as lucky as she seemed.
"I'm so sorry," I murmured, "I had no idea of how you lived."
"Don't be," she replied, "Ren and I will have our liberation someday."
Right then I saw Jun in a different light. She might have had wealth, but she had no happiness. I pained for her. Perhaps…we could share our troubles together. Was such a thing possible after all that had happened?
Yes, it was. It had to be. If I was going to stay with her, I should be able to get along with her.
I said, "I want to be your friend, Miss Jun." This time she looked surprised, but quickly smiled.
"You already are. Sometimes I think you have been my only friend, my Lee Pyron," she told me.
Henceforth, I truly forgave her. We went back outside with trust in our hearts and a quiet support for each other.
~*End*~