Last Chapter.
Finale
Jill put on her orange winter coat and gloves as she got ready to head into the city, where the Vet's was at. The blizzard had lasted all day yesterday, so she never made it out of her house. She instead put an icepack on her injured dog to see if that'd help him, as well as put on her own swollen nose, keeping it elevated. She also took some aspirin to make the irritable pain go away, if only for a short while.
Her nosebleed stopped after while, she had many bloody tissues that she had to throw out, but at least she didn't have any more blood bleeding out of her nose. If it hadn't she would've had to go to the doctor's. Which she really didn't want to do for having to explain how her nose became like it was.
Jill double checked to make sure she had everything she would need. After making sure her wallet was in her pocket, seeing as that was the most important thing, she picked up her small dog, carrying him in her arms, and left her house.
She stopped by Vesta's farm, making a quick detour to their house to see how everyone was doing. She enter Vesta's property, and saw no one outside, so she went to the door and knocked, hearing various noises coming from the inside.
Footsteps could be heard coming closer to the door. Jill looked around their house, her small dog yawning in her arms, and was relieved to see that no damage had come to their home, or at least that was how it looked.
"Coming!" Vesta's booming voice yelled as the footsteps finally stopped in front of the door, opening it. "Jill! Nice to see you. Come on in."
Jill obliged, stepping into the warm house. The small family was having breakfast, Celia in the kitchen -who gave her a happy greeting while she returned back to making breakfast - and Marlin, who had been dozing off a little on the bed he was sitting on, looking a little pale, immediately stood up to greet his fiancé, but almost fell back on the bed in the process from the dizziness that overcame him. He wasn't feeling too good that morning.
"J-jill," He stuttered a bit, coughing a little, but very happy to see her. "What are you doing here? Is everything okay at your farm? What happened to your dog?" All the questions that had been pestering him when that blizzard hit poured out. He would've gone to check on her himself, if Vesta hadn't stopped him first. Damn illness.
Jill tilted her head to the side, amused at the way he got flustered when she was around. "1) I came to check on you guys. 2) Everything's fine, it could've been worse. 3) His leg got hurt the other day so I'm taking him to the vet in the city so it could get checked."
Marlin nodded his head in understanding, a small headache was creeping up on him, "Why not have some breakfast before you leave? Celia's almost done making it."
Jill took this into consideration, but thought against it, not wanting to waste any time in delaying - even though she was very tempted with the delicious smells of baken and other varieties coming from where Celia was in the kitchen, humming to a song as she made breakfast.
Jill (tried to) ignored the smells and knew she probably wouldn't be back until the next day, and was going to stay in the raggedy motel that wasn't too far off from the vet's while her dog recovered from his leg injury if they needed to keep him overnight to see if there is any lasting damage to his leg.
She knew the city well, considering she grew up there all her life until she moved in the small town of Forget-Me-Not.
"No. I should start heading out before the vet closes. I'll see you tomorrow morning though. I can stop by for breakfast." The next day after we get married, she thought. Unless he's not feeling well. "Then we can start setting up after I drop this little guy off at my farm."
Marlin looked a little disappointed, but he quickly hid that by giving Jill a small smile and nodded in agreement. "Do you need someone to accompany you to the city? Especially if you're staying over night?" Vesta gave him a pointed look when he said this, and knew if he did go there was going to be some fighting involved.
He was quite talkative when he wanted to be, especially when he was worried over someone and asked a lot of questions. "No. I'll be fine." I'll just kill anyone who messes with me. She smiled a little.
"Are you sure?" Marlin asked, coughing a little afterwards.
"Yes." Jill replied, He's not feeling well. Marlin wasn't this insistent unless he was really worried. "Besides, wouldn't it be risky if you came into the city and your illness got the best of you, making you bedridden for days? I really do not want to see you get that sick again. We may even have to postpone the wedding if that happens. So just relax and wait until tomorrow." Her tone of voice was firm, ending the discussion on that note - with serious look in her eyes, even though she was grinning.
Celia continued to hum, listening to them talk while watching the food so it wouldn't burn. The brunette was amused at how Marlin got when anything concerned Jill. He never worried over anyone as much as her before, or was that talkative around anyone else.
All Marlin could do as a reply to her response was sigh and nod his head. Jill just laughed, and said she needed to get going before she got there too late. She gave Marlin a quick hug, said goodbye to Celia and Vesta, and headed out to the city she hadn't been to in almost a year.
***
"Hm." The doctor examined her small dog, who was trapped on a metal table with a muzzle on when he tried to attack everyone who came near him that wasn't his master.
Jill had arrived at the veterinarian's office at the right time, just half-an-hour before they closed. Evening was approaching, so she would end up sleeping at the motel a couple of miles down and return to Forget-Me-Not in the afternoon. (She would've been there earlier if she hadn't gotten lost on the way over here, damn turns, then the bus she had to take left without her, having to make her wait an hour-and-a-half before the next one was scheduled to arrive. And sneaking a dog onto the bus was a little tricky.)
So now she sat in the chair, watching as her dog growled endlessly at the doctor. The "hm" sounds he kept making were driving her up the wall. Jill was tapping her foot up and down as he waited for him to say something.
"His leg is in bad condition, really pulled it hard, dislocated it slightly - that can be fixed all simple like. We'll give him some shots for the pain afterwards and keep him over night to take some x-rays to make sure its not permanent damage and he'll be able to walk normally again when its fully healed. I also suggest you give him some pain medication when you take him home tomorrow." The doctor said to her, "Pick him up tomorrow around one. See you then."
He nodded his head to her, and left the room, while his assistants came in to get her dog, who whined and looked at Jill pleadingly.
When her dog was taken into the back room, she got up from where she was sitting and left, walking over a couple of blocks where she saw a fast food place so she could get a bite to eat before she went to the cheap motel.
She took her time eating, and left the fast food place when the sun finally set. When she pushed the door open, she was thankful it wasn't snowing, even though there was a cold breeze hitting her face. She pulled her coat tighter against her body in hopes of getting some more warmth as she trudged along to her destination.
Wanting to get there sooner, she cut through an alley way where she could see the MOTEL sign lit up, even if some bulbs were out, making it say MEL instead.
She did know of people getting jumped in cities, especially in dark alley ways, so she wasn't surprised when she saw a grungy looking man step before her path.
Asshole. "Get out of my way." Jill snapped, she was cold and tired, and did not want to put up with any of this 'mugging' crap - again. The last one ended up with two black eyes and a broken arm behind a trashcan. This one would end up pretty much the same way if he didn't move his ugly ass out of her way.
The mugger just looked at her like she was crazy. She should be scared. Cocky little wimp. "Give me all your belongings and you won't get hurt." He tried to sound threatening, which usually worked, but the brunette just gave him a pissed off look, and he took out his knife to emphasize his threat.
"I'm not afraid to hurt you. Now give me your belongings!"
Jill kept looking at him. "Move." Her voice was devoid of all emotion. Damn bastard.
"I gave you a warning, this is what you get!" So he charged at her, knife in front of him as he ran at her so he could try and stab her. She grunted, moving at the last second, but the knife cut her arm, leaving a bleeding scratch. Still, she used her injured arm to grab his, and flipped him over, and thrashed him hard into the cement where she let him go. Wasting no time, she took the knife from him.
"W-wait! Please! Don't hurt me…!" Jill was sitting on top of him, knife to his throat.
"Why should I listen to you when you were about to try and kill me?" Smiling, she didn't wait for an answer as she slit his throat, cutting it deeply into the flesh to make sure he would not end up surviving.
Blood gushed from his throat, and her arm. It may actually be cut pretty deeply from how much blood kept coming out of it. How'd she let that happen?
Not caring, she wiped the blood from the knife she had on the man's shirt, then threw it in the dumpster nearby. She tore some of his shirt off to bandage her wound, making it look like she just tied a red bandanna around her arm like a few people did so no questions would be asked when she arrived at the hotel.
She could go to the police and say she was defending herself, but she really doubted that'd make her life any easier, so she dumped the body in the large green trashcan where the knife was at (man did it stink) and walked over to the motel. Even if they did find the body, she'd be out of the city by tomorrow and on her way to Forget-Me-Not.
Jill checked into the ratty motel, receiving her key to the room she'd be sleeping in, and took a quick shower, cleaning her wound - it was indeed deep, she'd get some pain killers later - wrapped it up with some bandages the front desk sent up to her when she asked, no one asked questions, and she went to sleep in the uncomfortable mattress very quickly.
She had a dreamless sleep, but was in a much better mood when she woke up, since she wasn't tired anymore, or as cold from putting on the crappy heater. She had slept in the clothes she wore the day before, so she just grabbed her jacket and gloves on the recliner she threw them on, put on her boots, put her hair up in a messy ponytail - it was now dry, and walked to the front desk to give them back the key and pay for her stay here.
Jill check the time as she stood out in front of the motel, the sun casting down some type of warmth as the wind picked up again. It was eleven, and she had to be there bye one. She decided to get some late breakfast at the place she went to the night before, taking the long way.
She did look at the alley from the previous night, and saw that everything was the same as it had been. No one had discovered the body yet, and Jill would be long gone before they did.
***
Jill stood in the Vet's office at 12:45, waiting for it to be one so she could get her dog and leave. She hated the vet's, if only because the doctor himself she couldn't kill without anyone wondering what happened to him. Her foot was tapping again, annoying the other patients that sat next to her with their various pets - there was this black, obese cat that looked like it was ready to kill the farmer, same as its owner -that she really wanted to kick in the face.
She was not fond of cats. At all. Which is why she turned Ramona down all those weeks ago when she came to her door to give her a black cat (that looked a little like the one who wanted to maul her). She had told her that no, I will not take care of an evil spawn of hell. Even if it wasn't in that exact wording.
While Jill and the cat had a staring contest, time passed and she was called to pick up her dog.
She stood up, still eyeing the cat, and went to the person who called her over. If that cat ever came near her, she would kick it.
She gave received her dog from the assistant, while listening to his instructions ("No, there is no lasting damage. He should be better in a couple of days. Just pick up the medication at the counter. Any questions?") and paid for his pain medication at the counter and left out the front door.
***
Jill looked around the convenient store, her dog sleeping in her arms, so she could buy herself some pain medication for her throbbing arm, as well as some water to drink it down.
After taking it and throwing her water away she went to the bus stop, making it on time. She hid her dog again in her coat, maneuvering it to look like she was pregnant or chubby, buttoning it and 'cradling' her tummy so her dog wouldn't fall, as she stepped onto the bus, where she walked all the way to an empty seat in the back quickly since her dog was squirming.
Next time, I bring a giant purse to stuff him in. Jill looked at the mirror up front and decided to put her dog on her lap, where the bus driver couldn't see him. Jill sat there, her dog comfortably laying on her lap, dozing off. She looked out the window, and that doubting feeling that had been bothering her the past few days crept up on her.
What if something goes wrong? What if Marlin finds out the truth? Will he leave or tell the police? Would she have too kill him too..?
This was what she was reduced to, killing everyone and anyone, no matter who they were. She didn't care for any of the one's she already killed. But she knew that she would forever regret killing Marlin, but her freedom had become too important to her.
Jill looked at the scenery passing by, disrupting her thoughts, watching the people who passed by. Really, what was going on in their lives? Were they also going to get married? Did they do deeds that shouldn't have been done? Do they regret anything?
She looked away and absentmindedly stroked her dog's fur until they reached the stop where she would walk the rest of the way to her home.
***
Jill stepped on the snowy ground, happy to be back where she lived, and her animals awaited to be fed. She left them extra food, but her cows most likely ate it all, leaving her sheep, horse hungry. Her chickens should still have some food left. She hoped.
It was around four in the afternoon. Plenty of time to set up for the next day, and her cousin should either arrive later in the day or early in the morning to help her get ready - as well as Celia. Nina, the old women who lived across from the inn, insisted on coming over to help out. Lumina was still in her own little world, and Hugh's mother had to be in the city, but promised to be at the celebration party later in the evening. Everyone else in Forget-Me-Not promised some sort of contribution to their happy day. Whether it be food or a gift.
One more day. Just one more.
***
Jill set her dog on her bed, after he did some business outside, and fed him something to eat (as well as check her other animals and change her bandages), she made her way over to her fiancé's house so they could set up.
Jill knocked on Vesta's door again, but Marlin was the one who answered, and his face lit up when he saw the woman he was to marry at the door, safe and sound.
He hugged her, thankful to the goddess nothing happened, but Jill winced when he squeezed her, the pain in her arm acting up. The pain medication was starting to wear off. Bearing the pain, she hugged him back, saying hello to him, and that everything was fine.
Nothing happened.
The two went inside, Marlin feeling a lot better than the day before, but Celia and Vesta weren't around.
"Marlin. Where's your sister and Celia? We need to set up for tomorrow."
"I'll show you." He took her hand, and went out the front door to where there wedding was to take place. Going into the forest, they walked to where Jill had seen the Yeti, passing that and to the Goddess pond.
Jill stood wide-eyed as she saw everything decorated, chairs set up, lights around everywhere, and instead of a carpet, they used stones dug up from the mines, laying out she path she would walk down to be joined to Marlin until death.
The final touch ups would be done the next day, while she was getting ready, by the people of the town. Still, she turned to Marlin, not caring anymore for Celia and Vesta for the moment as she tackled her husband-to-be in thanks, kissing him on his mouth, not caring if he was sick.
After a few moments, she stopped kissing a now flustered Marlin, and said. "Thank you."
Marlin just stared out with a blank look on his face.
"Marlin?" She poked him.
Nothing.
She pinched his cheeks, making them turn a rosy color against his pale skin.
"Marlin?" The pain from her pinches brought him back from his state of shock.
"W-what?"
"Shall we find Celia and Vesta? They're not here."
"Oh. They're at the bar," He looked down at the farmer, smiling. He took her hand again and they walked over to the Blue-Bar.
***
"Wow. This is fantastic!" Jill ate her food ravenously. When the two had arrived, Celia and Vesta had a whole buffet at the Blue bar, a 'pre-celebration' for the couple soon to be married.
Marlin and Jill were sitting in the booth together, talking about anything and everything, both anxious for the next day. Celia and Vesta had talked with them for awhile, then left the two alone to eat at the counter talking to Griffin, who was faring a lot better.
"Question."
"Hm?" Marlin asked, looking up from eating his food.
"How many kids do you want?"
Marlin almost choked on his food, forcing it down with the wine he was drinking. "K-kids?"
"I'm willing to bear your children. Now talk," She put her fork in her moth, chewing on the steak she was eating.
"….." Marlin stood quiet for a moment, he never really thought of having kids. That dream died when he got his illness. But he wasn't expecting to be getting married either. "Two?"
"Okay. Well, it's good to have an idea, right?" Jill went back to eating. Marlin just looked at her.
After a few hours passed, Claire had popped in on them. She immediately started questioning Marlin, seeing as she never met him before and she wanted to know what kind of man her cousin was going to marry.
Needless to say, he was in an awkward position with his wife-to-be laughing from where she now sat at the stool drinking. It was only her second beer.
After he was investigated, and Jill almost intoxicated, they went to her home so Claire could put her to bed.
***
Jill put on her dress like she did a few days before, her cousin and Celia looking at the make-up they would soon put on her. Nina was helping her into her wedding dress, and made sure nothing was amiss.
Marlin was being handled by Griffin, she wondered how he was doing. At least he got to wear a coat. She was going to be freezing until after they said "I do" and went to Ramona's after to celebrate.
She was finally getting married.
The day had arrived.
The weatherman said it shouldn't be snowing until the evening, not in the afternoon, and the priest from Mineral Town had come over to wed them together.
"Jill. Come over here. Now." Claire demanded, brush in hand. "Time to doll you up for your big day!"
Oh shit. Nina zipped up her wedding dress and pushed her over to the next thing to be done.
***
"Hush. The bride is coming." Someone said, quieting all the locals down, and everyone took there place.
Marlin became nervous, but stood there, barely hearing the music that was being played by Ramona on the piano she had lugged over to the forest. She had two, and this was her 'bad' one.
Lumina had stayed behind. She was nowhere to be found when she went looking to tell her that the wedding was to start.
As the music played and Marlin looked like he was ready to faint, his bride appeared at the end of the path. A veil was covering her face, but her brown hair was fixed up nicely, like a crown in her head.
When she reached the 'alter' the two listened as the priest said the formalities.
Till death do you part? Was all Jill could comprehend as she looked at the man she was to spend her future with.
Marlin said "I do." With Jill saying the same words right after the priest asked her the same question.
"Of course I do."
"You may kiss the bride." The pastor, Carter, smiled. He loved weddings.
And the two kissed, Marlin lifting her veil and looking into the eyes of his new wife, forever bound to one another until death separated them.
"May you have a happy life together."
Everyone clapped, congratulating them.
***
Lumina walked over to the happy crowd that surrounded the couple she wanted to reach, finally acting on the decision she had made.
No one noticed the young woman as she pushed through the moving crowd, she had gotten there later than she had wished - but it wasn't too late to save Marlin.
She wouldn't let Jill kill anyone else.
She had to stop her.
She saw the two appearing closer as she neared in on them from behind.
***
Jill was crowded by everyone who rushed up to congratulate them. Even though they should have let them make there way over to Ramona's by now. She tolerated it, because she knew that they had been looking forward to something good happening after all those people disappearing.
"Yes. Thank you. Right. What?" Everyone was talking to her all at once, and her pain medication was warring off again.
But she had made it to her wedding day, one of the happiest days of her life.
So she wasn't expecting a sharp pain to go through her.
Someone was behind her. She saw the blood and knife poking out of where her stomach was.
"Who--?" Jill was furious, and in pain - which she ignored, like she always did. Everything and everyone was dead silent. Even though someone was yelling for the doctor.
"J-jill?" Marlin's voice. Not who she was looking for.
Lumina was the one she soon saw.
"You little!!" Jill screeched. She saw her trying to creep away into the forest, going further into it, walking along the goddess's pond.
"I couldn't let you kill another person!! Like you did Rock!" The girl said, still moving away, faster this time. Jill shouldn't be able to catch her with a knife penetrating through her.
She was safe. Right?
Wrong.
Jill ran at her, even when Marlin tried to hold her still while the Doctor rushed over.
She was going to kill her.
She shouldn't have been moving, and when she pulled out the knife the pain and wound only got worse.
But that didn't stop her.
Jill jumped on Lumina, making them both crash into the icy pond. The two fought in the water as Jill tired to stab Lumina back, her arm hurting. She didn't care about that now, she just wanted to kill the girl, under any circumstances.
She was blinded by rage. She let her emotions go out of control again, like the night she fought Takakura.
Her wound was getting worse, opening more and more as she moved around, but she kept slashing at the girl. Even if both were running out of breath and everything was getting hazy under the dark, cold water.
People were trying to get them out of the pond, the doctor had finally arrived. She could hear Marlin begging her to stop and come up.
She was shivering now, and the water was becoming red. Not just from her, but from the girl she kept stabbing. Lumina was dead.
So Jill stopped, and let herself float to the top where she and Lumina's body were pulled to the surface,
Could she be happy with Marlin now?
She breathed a sigh of relief, and touched his panicked face, looking forward to the future she was to have with him.
Then she closed her eyes.
Lumina's deed was done.
***
Claire stood there, one of the last ones to stand in front of Jill's grave. She didn't care for the other girl who had died that day, if only because she was the one who killed her older cousin.
Marlin was there too, silently standing there. He wasn't even married for a day, and the love of his life already left him.
How could she be dead?
This wasn't right.
Lumina's family should all be dead. Claire saw the elderly woman, who was Lumina's grandmother, and wished her death. She would gladly do it herself, but she looked like she was ready to die any moment, her servant standing beside her.
When they pulled the two out, they saw how dangerous Jill's wounds were. If she didn't move, she would have ha a chance of living. But when she fought the other girl, she decreased that chance, and sent herself further into the hands of death.
Jill had looked so peaceful, and beautiful, as she laid there with a peaceful expression on her face, hand touching her husband.
The Doctor had said it was too late, for both of them.
Claire couldn't believe it, and neither could Marlin.
But she was dead, and nothing could bring her back.
So she cried. Letting the truth sink in. Even if she didn't want to.
"I'll always love you." She heard Marlin whisper. She looked at him, and saw that tears were coming from his eyes, even though he didn't seem to notice.
She said goodbye to her cousin, and made her way back to where her home was.
It was going to be awhile until she got over this.
***
Nami sailed to the island she had heard of on her travels. It was supposed to be blooming in business, and should have great and friendly people, as well as beautiful scenery.
She had nothing else to do, and no where else to go.
It was late when she arrived, and checked into the cheapest inn they had there, then headed over to the café the innkeeper told her about.
There she saw a few people getting a late dinner.
She ordered her food, and looked at the woman next to her. Long brown hair, a red bandanna on her head, yellow shirt and jacket to match, red boots, normal blue-jean shorts.
She was eating ramen, and didn't even look up from her food when Nami sat down. She had a serious air about her.
Nami, being in a good mood, introduced herself, thinking the two would get along since she seemed the quiet type herself.
"My name's Nami. Yours?"
The woman looked at her. She had light-blue eyes that gave nothing away.
"I'm Chelsea."
Then she went back to eating. Nami ignorant to the fact she was related to Jill.
E N D
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Longest peace I have ever written.
This is the final chapter for Jill, but I have a short one in mind for Claire. Chelsea will get one too.
Thanks for all the reviews throughout all this.
Thoughts on the ending? :B