ashes to ashes…
This church, he muses, is a masterpiece.
Flames rear hungrily, lapping at the sky. Once-dulled timbers and stone give their essence into their final destruction, beautiful collections of fiercely orange embers. Brilliant sparks dance over the ruined building's face, like tiny demons from the depths of hell, reveling in the wantonness of the destruction.
dust to dust.
The bells clang fiercely, their tolling deep and loud over the crackle of the inferno. His face twists in displeasure, and above him the Spirit of Fire looms, cutting their mighty voices short with a fireball which shatters them into beads of molten metal.
forgive them, for they know not what they do.
She watches him. There is pain, raw and agonizing, burning all along her nerves, but she is too mesmerized by the figures and the fire to notice. She realizes she is the only one stirring. Blackened husks attest to her defenders and their terrible, mercifully quick ends.
Of a sudden, the stink of their charred flesh reaches her nostrils. Though she wills herself to silence, her stomach protests, bile rising in her throat. Their lives, wasted…the X-Laws are no more.
She attempts to stand, even to crawl, so she may approach and grant them a small mercy of prayer. Something grinds nauseatingly in her hip, and she retches, collapsing back to the blackened soil.
"…Ghhhkkk…"
He smiles, turning his head slightly to regard her, sprawled, injured and defenseless, even Shamash deserting her in the final hour of need. "Hallo, milady Jeanne."
the Word was made flesh, and walked among us.
He is magnificent, she cannot help thinking. Cruelly, coldly regal as he tramples the ashes of her followers beneath his feet in contempt, a grotesque parody of the Savior's triumph. He stands before her, his ever-present smirk firmly in place. "Is it not beautiful, how our territories become one tonight?"
She hisses at his cruelty. "How dare you."
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our deaths
His tone changes, becoming more gentle, more thoughtful. "Should I kill you now, milady Jeanne, or save you for later pleasures? Should I grant you a swift death? Use your soul to feed my Spirit of Fire? Decisions…decisions…"
Her ruby eyes grow cold with rage, like brittle gems, as he continues his monologue. "Or, hmm. You would indeed make a fine mate…and the most ironic possible one, at that." He kneels in a single, achingly graceful movement, gathering her form against him. She shudders at his nearness, raging at the tiny part of her brain that takes comfort in the warmth against her injured side.
your kingdom come
She pushes futilely at his cloaked chest. "Does not the conqueror grant a wish to those beneath him? Leave me alone. I will not be courted by the likes of you." She does not wish to be anything to this, this defiler – yet she already knows his touch far too well. Memories long buried rise, and against all odds she blushes.
Iron Maiden Jeanne, blushing in this devil's arms? Ridiculous, yet it has been proven possible. Only here. Only now.
"But I have been courting you for the longest of times, have I not, Jeanne?" Her name, such a simple word without the honorifics usually attached to it, so seductive from his mouth. "What is your answer, then?"
She slaps him, the only action left to her. And he laughs in response, the sound ringing high into the skies, clear as a child's.
your will be done
He kisses her then on the ivory-pale lips, and she offers no resistance as he laps warmly at the trickle of blood on her chin. She gives him no response, tiny body limp in his arms.
"Your blood – it's still so sweet, so disgustingly innocent. Like the rest of you, I shouldn't wonder. Or…no, wait. I am wrong, am I not?"
She sighs in resignation, eyes turned towards the flame-filled heavens. "I am not innocent, Hao. You stole that a long time ago."
His grin mocks her, voice muffled against the pale flesh of her neck. "Ah, but I did not steal it, milady. You gave it to me willingly."
Then he lets her go, eyes locked with hers, magma meeting steel. "If you have no answer for me, milady, I will take my leave." He strolls away, stride nonchalant. She understands her choices – go with him or die here.
Go with Hao.
Die here, gloryless.
There is no God to help her in this crucial moment.
as we forgive those who sinned against us
She spits the words like blood to the ravaged ground, aware of how they tear at her throat – words of power, harsh and uncontrollable. "Hao, wait."
He stops in his tracks, not even deigning to look back at her.
Lord forgive me, she asks the baleful eyes of the stars, and receives no reply.
in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost
Come dawn, a hesitant breeze stirs the flurry of ashes, raising swirls of white dust upon the smoky air. There is no one living, there is nothing living. The ruins of the holy building crumble into stillness, a final testament to the souls who have long since drifted away.
amen.
~-~-~-~-~
A/N: *starts waving and pointing at EneriRenie* Look! It's the HaoJeanne I promised you! ^_____^
I'm rather proud of this one O.o It's one of those things that hits you in a bunch of fragments, and I had to work to piece all of the fic together! But I'm pleased enough with the end result…except, I don't know if Jeanne might be OOC. And yes, I killed the X-Laws. Please ignore this because I'm never going to do it again. (*whimpers* Marco…and Lyserg-chan…T_T) and in my brain, HaoJeanne always = burning church. I can't help it.
Isis Hotep – Thanks, glad ya liked! EneriRenie – Yeah…they're such a sweet couple, ne? Dragon Faere - *nod nod* Unintentional Nightmare – Yes, I enjoyed writing that one _ Sounds like something Bakahoro would say…I'll think about the HaoRen, I have a lot on my plate at the moment…
Miruu...R&R on this, onegai? I've been let back on the computer, but my parents think I'm doing schoolwork…so make my effort worth it? T_T Reviews make any author's day, plus a bit of constructive criticism would really be appreciated! (Not that I don't like simple 'this was good!' but if it gives me a chance to improve my writing, I'll definitely be happy.)
Maroku: Review whore!
Am not!
Muses: Are too!
AM NOT!
Before this fight gets any worse…see you in the next story!