Disclaimer: I don't own Jade Cocoon. Crave and Genki does!
Summary: A Jade Cocoon fic. Levant confronts Mahbu after learning the true ordeals of the cursed brandings. But can love really achieve the true purification to lift the curse of the Nagi woman? FLUFF [LevantxMahbu]
A/N: My first Jade Cocoon fic! That seems to be the second-ish fic on ! There really isn't a lot of fanfics about the game. And yes, you probably think the game sucks, but I thought it was good enough to kill a lot of time. Anyways, on with the fic! There might be wrong references and I'm sorry for that, I don't have the game open.
Warnings: Possibility of incorrect references and lots and lots of fluff. And OOC, because Levant doesn't even talk in the game --;; Be prepared!
-The Heart of the Cocoon-
...
Levant ran back to the Garai's house with a weight that felt like the whole world on his shoulders. 'Why didn't she tell me… Why didn't she tell me everything…'
'But it was ultimately my fault. I could have asked her, I could have stopped the curse from worsening… I could have done something!'
His pace quickened as the words he heard from the Silk Mill and from the Village Square echoed in his mind.
'They say those who purify the demons sprung from the beasts of knowledge will become demons themselves someday. Some eventually went mad from the purification ordeals.'
'In time, your wife too will face such a day.'
The boy raced past the base of the watchtower. He didn't care if Lui or Kelmar was wondering why he was in such a rush. He didn't care about anything or anyone at the moment except… her.
His wife.
Mahbu.
The young cocoon master hastily opened the door. Garai and Mahbu sat there, looking back at his uneasy gaze, mentally wondering why he was covered in sweat. Levant's eyes trailed towards Mahbu's long black wristbands. He could feel a twinge in his heart, aching with guilt and anger.
"Mahbu.." Levant started, "Could I… talk to you? For a bit…"
"Sure… but what's the rush?" she asked, standing up to meet him, "You look like you just ran through the whole village!"
"Something like that..." he replied, "Sorry Mother Garai, I need to borrow her just for a moment."
Garai nodded, already knowing what had happened to the young boy just by looking into his dark eyes – completely overwhelmed with fury. Levant took Mahbu's hand and led her outside, closing the door behind them.
"Levant? What's going on?" Mahbu asked, with a hint of worry.
"Outside the village… I'll tell you everything… and hopefully so will you."
Mahbu swallowed hard. She was unused to seeing Levant like this, so worried and so angry at the same time. His expression was completely different from the one she had seen all those years ago when she first met him.
They arrived near the grasslands just before Barrier Gate. Levant released Mahbu's hand as he turned around and met her gaze.
"Now will you tell me what's going on? Pulling me out of the village like that…" she rubbed her hand as soon as it was free. "Is something wrong?"
"I should be the one to ask you that," Levant turned around as he gritted his teeth.
"I don't understand…"
The boy pulled one of her wristbands away, grasping the fabric tightly. His heart pounded hard as he gazed along her wrists. Irregular patterns of black cuts incised in her pale white skin. Like a vivid disease…
"So it was… true.." he breathed slowly.
The Nagi woman growled as she took the wristband back, "What are you doing?!" She slid it back in place, glaring at her husband.
"Why didn't you tell me about how bad the cursed brandings would be?" Levant shouted as his vision blurred.
"What do you mean by that? We both knew of the cursed brandings, so how does seeing that, new?"
"You never tell me… how truly painful it is," he tightened his fist as he looked away from her eyes.
"I did tell you! I told you I felt weak after every purification I do for you! I told you that my energy was drained and that I felt a little nauseous!"
"You don't tell me… how the dark minions scar your body and how your head aches with pain trying to fight the evil."
Mahbu's eyes widened, "You were at the silk mill… weren't you?"
"It doesn't matter where I was… but what does matter… is why you don't tell me these things. I'm your husband. Even if it was a forced marriage… I really do care about you. If you told me all of this… I wouldn't ask you to purify so many of those minions."
As her eyes filled with tears, Mahbu tried to speak but found no words to describe her feelings. She never heard Levant speak about his feelings for her. She had always assumed that no matter what Levant only cared about her in a way only friends would. Now he was reciprocating the feelings she had always felt for him. Love.
Levant reached for her hand with one of his and brushed her tears away with his other hand, "I love you, Mahbu… and I'm sorry that I don't tell you it more often. I'm sorry for not coming home more often… for not spending more time with you… for not even trying to understand the pain you go through… for everything… "
"How about you, Levant? You journey through the forests, even though you could be killed at any second. You take on every attack of the ferocious minions for the sake of the village."
"That's nothing… with the minions that you risk your life purifying… I can never die in such a place. I wouldn't let myself. I could never… I just couldn't… leave you."
Levant pulled his wife close in a tight embrace. He slightly pulled away from her grasp and caressed her cheek. He drew in and kissed her, ignoring everything around them. They stood in still motion for a while, not even letting a slightest chirp from the birds ruin this precious moment.
Appearing suddenly, a strange white glow began to grow from Mahbu's covered wrists. They broke away, watching each other as the blankness consumed them.
"Levant!" Mahbu screamed. Her voice seemed so close to him yet so far. Levant was still holding on to her body, or was he? He couldn't tell if his fingers were embracing his wife or something else.
"Mahbu?" Levant closed his eyes to shield his vision away from the blindness surrounding him. He felt someone tugging his shirt.
"Levant! Look!" Mahbu cried.
Levant opened his eyes and looked down where Mahbu's wrists were. Ever so slowly, the dark visible curses were fading into her skin colour. They were disappearing… the curses… they were finally being lifted!
As the last of the black patches faded away, Levant lightly grasped Mahbu's wrists, leaving a trail of kisses on both arms from the elbow bend to her palms.
"The … true purification…" he knelt down in front of her. "That must be it! Where the cursed brandings are lifted from…"
"The Nagi woman the cocoon master loves…" Mahbu finished, pulling her husband up into a hug.
"My father left… to find a way to achieve true purification…" Levant explained, as he smiled fondly.
"He didn't have to leave at all…" the girl trailed off. "But don't worry, Levant. When you find him… you can bring him back, along with the key of restoration of the village."
The cocoon master nodded, "Until then… I will never leave your side for longer than a day."
Mahbu smiled, "Good."
"Let's go back… and tell the others," Levant grinned, holding Mahbu's hand as he led the way.
His wife smiled as she clasped on to his arm, "Mmm. Let's."
[End]
A/N: Ahh.. That was horrible but I don't care! I wrote it in less than 2 hours (Hey! Shh! I write slow.) after playing the part of the game where Levant overhears the woman villagers talking about Mahbu.
Anyways, hope you kinda enjoyed it!
Reviews/Comments/Criticism/Anything is appreciated and can be done through reviewing or e-mailing to