Doubtful Love by xo0starfire0ox
Here's the next chapter...
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN SHAMAN KING OR ITS CHARACTERS...
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"Jeanne-chan! Jeanne-chan!" Pirika shouted as she chased the fleeing girl through the hallways. She eventually stopped and sank to the floor. Pirika instinctively gathered her up into her arms and tried to talk to her.
"Jeanne-chan? Don't worry, everything will be just fine. Hao-kun will come back. He will." Pirika repeated, trying to sooth the heartbroken girl. Jeanne continued weeping as the tears flowed out, as if the heart within her fueled all the sadness and hurt.
"Don't worry, Jeanne-chan. Hao-kun loves you, remember? And he won't leave you. I know he won't." She said. Jeanne sat up and looked at her.
"How d-did yo-you kn-kno-know?" Jeanne stuttered as the hiccups came.
"Let's just say, opposites attract. It was that way for Ren and me. Who would've imagined that the two of us would get back together? But what changed everything is that someone decided to be different. You both are on opposite sides, but I've noticed how greatly Hao-kun has changed. I asked myself what the purpose of this change was, what had started it, and what had fueled it? And it came to me, love. Whether it's brotherly or friendly, love melts the heart. Love can make wonders happen. And I know, that you love Hao-kun, a lot. And through your love, you'll get to Hao-kun. You two were made for each other." Pirika said earnestly. Jeanne turned away.
"You are right. But that's what I've chosen to give up. I do love him, and his love had shown me that. But now, it's impossible. Hao will never come back to me. As much as I want him dead, I can't. I've chosen to forget about this whole month, and all that has happened between us. I want him to live. Whether he loves me in this state is optional." Jeanne said as she struggled to not cry again.
"But Jeanne-chan, so fast?" Pirika asked. Jeanne closed her eyes wearily.
"I'm afraid so. There's nothing else I can do about it." Jeanne said and got up.
"But you still love him. You can't forget that. It's impossible to." Pirika pointed out. Jeanne turned around.
"True, but what is love if it isn't expressed? I know that he'll be in my heart always, but what use is it to love the unimaginable?" Jeanne asked. Pirika looked at her painfully.
"But Jeanne-chan…" Pirika pressed. But Jeanne waved her off.
"No more, Pirika-chan. No more." Jeanne pleaded. Pirika nodded reluctantly and followed her friend back to the room.
"So, what do we do with him now?" Horo asked.
"We shall send him off to Silva-sama and the council. They shall do whatever they want with him." Tamao suggested.
"And is Jeanne-chan alright with this?" Anna asked. Pirika and Jeanne appeared in the doorway. Jeanne looked at the menacing face of Hao's for the last time and then lowered her gaze. She nodded silently. Ren and Horo each grabbed Hao and carried him outside.
"Good bye." Jeanne whispered as they walked off.
That night, Jeanne looked at her wall emotionlessly. She stared off, rethinking about the past few months. She chuckled at the time when he first arrived at the doorsteps of the Asakura residence. Others prejudged him, and his past did hold evidence against him. Yet she saw something different that night. She, wary about his past, also took in account his new aura. So she gave him a chance, a chance that opened doorways and closed them also. She recalled the times they would spend together while others were off chasing their own fantasies. There were much bickering at those times, but there were also much bonding. Slowly, she realized just how much he had changed.
Her mind went back to that fateful day, a day that was supposed to be joyous and of celebration. And it would have been, had not she rejected him. She scolded herself for making such a lifetime mistake. The guilt that was buried resurfaced again. This was all her fault. All her fault.
She weakly got up and walked to her desk in the corner. She took out a piece of paper and started writing. And when she was done, she placed it into an envelope and wrote Good bye and the surface. She placed it on her bare table and started packing. She gathered all her belongings and took one last glance at the place where she was reunited with him, and then left.
"Jeanne-chan?" Tamao knocked softly on the door. She knocked again louder. Pirika, standing besides Tamao paced around, worried.
"Jeanne-chan, you have to eat something. You missed lunch and dinner yesterday." Pirika pleaded. Still no answer came within the room. Tamao took the handle and pulled it. And they came face to face with a bare room.
"W-Where's Jeanne-chan?" Pirika asked as she rushed into Jeanne's room. She flung open closets and looked under the bed. But everything that was Jeanne's was gone. Tamao walked over to the cleared desk and spotted a letter. Curiously, she picked it up and read it.
Dear everyone,
I thank you for the hospitality that you have given me over the months. But I would like to move on now. There's nothing left for me here. I thank you for your caring kindness and friendships. Yoh-kun and Anna-chan, I wish you the best future. May your love soar higher than the skies. Ren-kun and Pirika-chan, I also wish you the best. Pirika-chan, I'm really happy for you. I'm really happy that you have found the one you are looking for after all these years. Ren-kun, take good care of her. Tamao-chan, grasp onto love while you still can. Don't let doubts do something regretful. Horo-kun, good luck! I'm honestly very grateful for all of you. I'm not sending you my address, because I don't even know where I'm off to. But wherever I shall be, I'm satisfied. Thank you, and farewell.
Iron Maiden Jeanne
"Pirika-chan!" Tamao shouted and handed her the letter. Pirika read it over in horror.
"Jeanne-chan left? But she's too weak! Both physically and mentally. What are we going to do?" Pirika asked frantically.
"Come on. We'll see what Anna-chan says about it." Tamao said, a bit darkened by Jeanne's message to her. Did she suspect something?
"Who called my name?" Anna said as she entered the room. Pirika gave the letter to her. Anna didn't take long to look over it. She had predicted something like this would happen.
"Leave her to be. She's chosen her path." Anna said emotionlessly. Tamao nodded, feeling the same way. She knew that Jeanne would find peace. Pirika stood, resigned by the situation.
"Do take care, Jeanne-chan." Pirika whispered and sighed.
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How was it?