There was only the void which had surrounded him. Everything--in this emptiness--was seemingly dark. He felt the brittleness of the earth beneath his settled back. It was bitterly stabbing him in his crumbling insides. The air was getting so heavy to his nostrils, with each movement of his chest bringing such continuous flow of numbing electricity in him.

He was defeated.

Again.

By the one whom he had thought to be only his mere replica.

There was the surging amount of fury in his mind, the fight that he had never wanted to give up...

He will never surrender. Clenching his fist, he tried to rise himself but...

"Death is the only punishment you deserve."

He refused to open his eyes.

The Evil coughed out harshly. A disgusting taste came to his mouth as he spoke. "Strike."

"This is the road to your salvation." The female voice continued, soft and condemning. "This will put your troubled soul at rest."

Silence. A frightening silence.

"Death is nothing to me." His voice was becoming distant to his ears. "I shall not gain that rest."

He could still feel the glare that had emanated from her.

There was She, over towering him with the flair of her dress.

"Do you not despise me?" he muttered, as his brow arched in confusion.

"Yes, I do." She snapped, without looking at his obscured dark irises. "You do not know how much."

"Then why are you here?"

"To save you."

He gave a snort. "No one can save me. Not even your God."

She gave a silent hiss of annoyance.

"Then with my hand, I will deliver His justice. The one whom you blatantly mock ." Her face contorted into that fixed look, preparing herself to another death that will come swiftly with her hands.

At long last, the Destroyer will be finished. Souls will rejoice and life will be no longer be miserable.

She lifted a single, metal spike, hand-picked from The Iron Maiden. She maimed it at his heart.

Then he laughed a cold, humorless mirth. The blood trailed down the corner of his lips. Abruptly, a shot of huge flames surrounded him.

She staggered away from him. The blazing roars had engulfed the man upon the cracked earth.

He gave a mirthless smile. "You stain your hands with the blood of your companions."

She hissed.

He chuckled.

"You are alone."

She glowered, the flicker of the roaring embers alighting her ivory features.

There was his face, slightly visible in the roast of the fire.

"What are you telling me?" she stared intently at the face without any preamble.

"We are not different, Jeanne-san....."

He slowly began to disappear, blending against the wield of the fire.

"You cannot even save yourself..."

She gazed at his onyx orbs without any iota of being affected by this statement.

"Like you."

His eyes flashed; not of menace or sinisterly glowers, but of sentiments.

"Then how can you tell me that I deserve your punishment?"

Then he had said the phrase that she never thought that would be imprinted in her...for a long, long while.

"You have no power to do so."

An echoing laughter rang out deafeningly.

"Weak."

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Faith
Written by Miko-chan
Beta-read by Apple-chan ( Sugoi da ne, neechan! ^^ I owe you one, Thanks!)
Author's notes: This fic and the following two chapters are dedicated to Syaoran no Hime, Reen-neechan, Mendori-chan, da* mouse and all Hao x Jeanne fans.
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"Sister Jeanne, thank you very much for your assistance."

"It is nothing." she responded in a pliant, kind voice. "I understand how much you need to find something for your living."

"I shall be back before nightfall."

She gazed at the young midget, with her tiny iridescent black eyes looking at the young nun expectantly.

"Have a good day, sir."

"I hope so. " He smiled grimly, and turned his head halfway to call his eldest son. "Come here, we need to get moving."

"Hai, Otousan."

She watched patiently as other parents and companions went towards the black mass of trees in the middle of the wide desert. It was the only thing to make these people survive.

There was the incredible pull of pity as she settled her eyes on this place.

A few hours passed as she gave refuge to those who needed help among the lowly villagers of this poor town. She had already given their well-deserved relief; they had given her their warmest welcome in return. The townsfolk were all grateful, from the way their pearly white teeth had glittered magnificently against their sweat-dripping skin. It is a known fact that there was famine all throughout the land.

Indeed, their life truly was hard...but there was a trace of survival and happiness in their every move--something that could be replenish every soul searching being.

She was resting upon the calming, cool shade of the widespread tree in the middle of the stretching savannah. With a mass of twenty children under her wing, she nestled her weary head against the supporting trunk. She was the youngest nun to volunteer for this evangelistic mission, but nevertheless they had thought her youth could be used in overseeing the tykes. The older nuns were giving instructions to the villagers for a possible handicraft living, but she had never hesitated to offer help in any way she could--even if it meant overseeing hyperactive children in the heat of the day.

The young boys and girls began to gather around her, their curious sweltering faces turned to her. She merely blinked in surprise when different voices began to speak in eagerness and curiosity about the outside world. Obviously, those who are marginalized and suffering are unable to discover for themselves to different destinations, so it is very natural that the children are very inquisitive at what was happening outside their makeshift fences.

As they piled up to her side and began to collect themselves, the lady began to tell stories of the world, the graces of God and the dedication of her life in that same belief. Their interest with every little subject was astounding, as if something like that was taken for granted in their world. No matter, she thought amiably, for she was getting excited as their awed faces.

In no time at all, they began to accept her as part of their cheerful group. Each little tyke was listening to her intently as they lay themselves upon the ground. The sun has already settled down to the terra firma, and yet the children still huddled beside her. They were either playing tag underneath her watchful eye or listening to the stories of the unknown wilderness beneath the hidden forest laid in the oasis.

She could not help but eavesdrop, being the curious woman she was, of a certain nightmare that lies beneath the innocent clump of trees in this wilderness. There were rapid rumors of a certain being that haunts that place...

It filled her thoughts right now, even in the dead of the night. That same terrified voice of her charge...

Their tones dropped into nervous whispers, soothed hands covering their swift mouths. She inclined her head in curiosity, silently waiting for their sharing. The same young girl earlier, with curly mass of dark hair, spoke with a quivering voice. She gave a terrified glance at the others, as if assuring herself that no one else is listening.

"What is wrong with you, dear?" She could not help but notice, for there was a disturbing knot of fear in the girl's features.

"Will Otousan and Oniichan be alright?"

She was puzzled." Of course, no need to worry." It has been a routine in this village to find some water, and she had not heard of such things as fatal accidents occurring in obtaining some liquid in wells and unsought rivers.

"But..." Her voice dropped, barely to a hushed whisper." it's not what you think it really is."

"What...?"

"There is a creature over there...Something that glows in the night...sometimes. But...They think it is what causing..." The little girl was shivering and stammering, her fingers fiddling nervously on the hem of her shirt.

The nun was quite alarmed at this news.

"A..." she breathed. Another paranormal experience? Great. "...a creature?"

"Yes."

She was about to open her tiny mouth when the bustle of children went to them, turning their suspicious eyes to the one who was speaking to her about such unbelievable things.

All of the recent events earlier were relieved as she knelt upon the makeshift pew in her tent. Her face was calm, yet unnoticed anxiety was dwelling inside her. The lamp, which held only a small touch of flame, was being wavered by the unknown desert winds. It was usual for the almost deathlike silence to conquer the night, according to them. Especially when the darkness seems to be alive and breathing.

That conversation had invoked something within her.

She cannot deny that truth. The strong surge of force emanating from that dim void in the night was overwhelming. She remembered the aura before--even though she had abandoned the use of ki-sensing years ago.

Then a tiny cough was heard.

She stirred in her reflective position. With a graceful sweep, she rose slowly and opened the curtail that had hidden her from her visitor for tonight.

It was the young girl.

What could this little tyke be doing in the dead of the night? As far as the nun could decipher from the girl's actions, it was like she was going to reveal something...

She had a soft tint of chestnut that glowered magnificently, despite that her dark curls were somehow deflecting any light . Her bony features were covered with a thick black shawl, swallowing her small frame. Holding her ivory-smooth palm, she nodded, her small strong face reflected in the darkness. "Help me, sister." Then the young lady had turned off the dimming flame of the lantern that she was reaching out near the outside of her tent. "They are not home yet.."

Then she remembered.

"I will return to pick her up after nightfall."

"They are not home yet!" She burst into sobs as she clung against the long, flowing nightgown of the woman. The young girl's tears glistened brightly against the wild flame of the lighted lantern.

Maybe she should not have consented, she thought as she reached for the lantern placed on the makeshift table. However, her heart was easily conquered by children. When she had consulted with the parents of these kids, she had found out that they were constantly haunted by an unknown nightmare that had been hiding beneath those innocent myriad of trees.

"Shh." She place a finger upon her lips, emphasizing silence. "What do you want, child?"

"Neechan," the little liquefied emerald orbs gazed at her with trepidation and blew the flickering candle to darkness. "They might be missing in the woods. Everyone in the village was here earlier this afternoon."

She was about to protest that it was impossible to see anything in this overpowering darkness...but the expectant gaze that filled the hope of the little girl's eyes had called something within her. Hoping that one of those nuns who are keeping their duty at night would visit at her tent, she left a hastily- written note that she was out to find someone. Then, the little child began to drag her, flimsy white shawl and all, into the wide expanse of the desert.

She passed by the little shanties that were defoliating against the fierce weather of the climate. There was nothing relieving in the sight of them, since it seems that the task that she would do right now was abysmally foolish. Yet, rumors that the children were ailed by an unknown fear somehow had appeased her to help the little child. She might be the youngest of all who had volunteered to help these desolated people, but it did not affect the fact that she was also the one that these little ones confided on. It might be wrong to allow such tiny beings to wander out, but she assured herself that she would defend them, even if it means summoning her accursed abilities.

There were many things that she had tried to leave behind since the Iron Maiden had left the battlefield in the almost identical desert. As soon as the shaman fight was canceled, there was nothing to fight for anymore...but there were those words that had echoed in her mind.

Weak.

On that same day, she had vowed to herself that she would prove him wrong.

Why would she bother to heed such words from someone who is nearly heretic?

But that did not mattered anymore, for she guessed that there were things that had pierced her, which was the truth. Indeed, she had sacrificed a lot more than what is expected of a girl her age. They were glimpses of a young girl's fantasies and 'should be only kept written in little girl's diaries'. It was insulting, but there is really more to the world than sin. It was also filled with beauty and goodness that she had originally thought was confined only within the walls of the convent.

There was nothing to save now, except others.

The young girl that possesses the power of the gods had receded to accept that challenge. She was never the same again, and concentrated on correcting her mistakes from such an unripe belief. Realization had dawned on her horribly, at the bloodstained hands of her angels--at the lives that she had wasted. Isn't it taught that there must be forgiveness before death? How many times did she try not to mourn? How many times did she try to compensate?

Then, it dawned on her that she would not join such battle again, much to the disappointment of Marco. The sole guardian and studying seminarian had consented that the Evil still existed and they must not rest to allow him to breathe.

Yet...there was his younger twin, who probably has more power than her to stop that man. After all, in that last attempt to sabotage the Great Spirits, wasn't he, Yoh Asakura, who had been last one who had drawn the last fight?

She stumbled upon a rock, making her thoughts scatter as swiftly as she had gathered them.

They were now facing the brush of the winds against the fine brittles of the sand. Across that sea of grayish sands was the towering mountain, seemingly overpowering to its spectators from afar.

That was their destination.

She thought wearily that the blinding breeze of the sand made it dangerous to cross, and the possible time of their return would only be hours before dawn, but her young companion paid no heed to these possibilities in her mind. They marched onward, overused sandals imprinting upon the scorched earth.

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A lamp.

If oils would only last long enough...

In the immense coverings of the ivy covered trunks upon their path, the night seems to be more treacherous. The young lass, wearing only a thick black shawl to cover her shivering back, threaded their way through the darkness skillfully. However, she had the feeling that they were somehow within the deepest parts of the different mazes of trunks and branches. The slight waning moonlight and the pricks of light in the horizon were their only guides throughout this dizzying maze. It was hard to decipher anything in this obscurity, and there was the increasing amount of her curiosity as they continued tracking upon the slippery thickets and rough boulders.

However, she kept her questions and merely contemplated that Patience is a Virtue.

Then a wafting smell reached her, and she recognized it almost immediately. She knew it, for her body had been stained by it for the last two decades. A horrifying realization came to her, and she gazed at them with a half-astonished eyes.

"You might slip in some bones." Her charge said rather casually. "I heard from Oniichan that people can die from something here...if you're not careful."

If she was one of the ordinary sisters in a convent, she could have passed out.

As the metallic scent grew stronger, a flicker of an aura came to her senses. It was weak, but the imposing, repelling aura was enough to make her head whirl in this enigmatic mystery. This intimidating creature, who had scared the wits of such little ones, exuded such strength even in its slow metabolism.

The gathered thickets suddenly cleared. It revealed a cave, folded in the withering clinging vines, with moss and lichens growing from each side. A small trail of blood was visible upon the patched earth. The hollow opening was the one emanating that repulsing smell.

"Are they here?"

She could not help but notice the slight tremor in the little girl's tiny whisper.

"I do not know...it is too hard to search in here." Jeanne tried to make out this blackness with her weary sight. The stinging cold and the perforating scent was becoming pungent.

The little girl's form hid in safety behind Jeanne.

"Neechan." A whisper from the rear came. The young little girl held her hand, quivering. "I want to see 'em. But...sca...sca..."

Truth to be told, she could also feel the pangs of trepidation inside of her, but this was not the time to show that vulnerability to them. She was here to alleviate the girl's worries, and that meant facing this with a brave facade.

"Okay.." she hesitated with a pause. "Just a peek then."

And with a step, they treaded onwards.

The silent glow of the phosphorous-covered mushrooms had given an eerie bluish light upon the lime-covered ceilings on the cave. There was the faint trickling of water that was audible up to the end of the coarse tunnel. The small traces of the metallic scent had her nose cringing in its scent as the pungent odor became murkier as they progress. She wished for the glow of the wick, and the warmth of a small fire right now.

It was fortunate enough that they can hear the slight trickling of stale water from the rear of the cave. Although this hollow opening was certainly increasing her fear, it assured her from the scattered tools in the grounds that this place was enough for one to live.

As she moved on, she began to be aware of the thinning of air as both of them go beyond through the depths of the cave.

"I can't see, Neechan!" cried the girl in a hardly audible voice.

"Me neither. Let's just check behind this rock." Her eyes were squinting, trying to make out the strange black mass in their way.

As she turned on that corner, a sudden metallic scent pervaded her senses again.

She tripped; and with horrified eyes, saw a man.

He was huddled in the corner, leaning against the wall. His lower limbs were spread apart, his indistinguishable features visible. He carried the aura of near death, as the seemingly endless flow of blood marred with the moist gathering of water around him. The coagulating blood surrounded him.

The scent was unbearable for the child. The girl huddled behind her, gripped at her dress with surrounding fear and horror at this sight

Both of them could have screamed in horror, if it were not for the fear of what more lies beneath the darkness of the cave or the abysmal jungle. Thankfully, she regained her wits just in time to do that. She speculated the one who was crouching unconsciously in the boulder with deft eyes.

She kneeled beside him, and found out that it was not the child's brother, nor her father. But there was too little of light to recognize him, and his features, along with his forehead, was matted with dry blood. His mahogany, elongated tresses were distressed and seemingly to stuck out dryly in different places. The wounds are deep...Used crude bandages from a rag.... but not enough to stop bleeding, she said in broken thoughts. Needs treatments...I can't see clearly...! The last thought was somehow like a desperate cry for something that would make her wish to be out of this place.

She begun to hear distant shouts from the mouth of the cave. She surmised that it had already been discovered by the villagers that she was gone from her present residence.

With bated breath, she instructed her little companion. "Go to the villagers. Tell them that there is a wounded person here. Be quick." The air was getting thinner and her head was going in dizzying circles, for she was already somehow beneath the surface and blocked from the night air. The child ran swiftly, after a hasty nod, towards the grounds.

She sat helplessly at the side of the injured, with her features tiredly unruffled. With skillful hands, she discerned how long the gashes found at his forehead were. She brushed off the mahogany locks to take account of temperature and then she began to unconsciously long for even a flicker of...

"Need light?"

A sudden flame erupted from a maroon-leathered glove. A drained but amused smile was illuminated.

Then sudden apprehension had dawned on her, as she found two coal-black orbs watching her every move.

She was suddenly bewildered. Abruptly, she took a sharp breath.

"You...!"

Even after many years of forgetting, a mere sight of him...

However, the air suddenly was gone....

...her lungs clenched, and everything went pitch-black.