Side Story: Jeanne

~20 September 2006~

*Jeanne POV*

I don't know what to do right now. All of my life, I think about myself being a heroine that saves everyone like Jeanne D'arc. Instead, I get beaten, and my sacred gear gets taken away from me.

I don't know what to do now. Not only I cannot get closer to Faysummit, but I also didn't have any more money to rent a room or a house for me to sleep in.

Right now, in front of a village somewhere inside Romania.

"Young lady! What with the sad face?"

I snap from my thoughts when I see an old man walking toward her with a hoe on his shoulder. I smile at the older man and say.

"It is nothing."

"I know you are lying to me, but I understand. Now come on! My wife should have finished cooking some food for us."

"I-I don't want to disturb you…"

*Grumble*

"Hahahahaha! It looks like your stomach disagrees with you, little lady. Come on. I insist."

I hesitate for a second before I decide to follow him. I follow him, walking on the dirt path to the village. I look to my left and see a fruit garden filled with many kinds of fruit, and to my right is a garden filled with medical herbs.

"Do you like the view?"

"Yes, but if you don't mind me asking, where do you get these plants? I thought they are rare plants that can only grow in a specific area…"

"Hmmm… I guess I can tell you about that. These are the plants' Lord Vongola gave to us. However, I cannot tell you how they can grow here. Sorry about that."

"Lexian Vongola?"

"Yes. After we swear fealty to him, he gives us these medical herbs to plant. He also told us that this herb would be our main income and also the ingredient for the potion making."

I nod at his explanation and continue to walk. Is he really the tyrant Cao Cao tells us he is? He is the one that supports the enemy of humanity? Is he really the enemy? I don't know.

As we arrive inside the village, I can see children running around the village with a big smile on their face. A group of adults carrying a heavy object on their shoulders but instead having a frown on their faces, they have a smile and sense of pride on their faces.

It was weird. Do they don't mind the heavy burden on their shoulder? Don't they want to have the freedom from a burden Lexian gives them?

"We are here."

I snap from my thoughts when we arrive in front of a humble-looking house. As the door opens up, the old man leads me to the kitchen, where I see an older woman placing down some food on the table.

"Welcome home, dear. Oya? Who is this young lady?"

"I'm home, and this young lady is…"

"Jeanne"

"Jeanne. I found her wandering around our village, aimlessly, so I bring her back."

"I see. Good job, dear. Now come on, little one. You should eat the food while it is still hot."

I hesitate for a second before taking out the spoon and begin to eat the food in front of me. The food is good, simple, but delicious.

After eating the food, I look at the old man and say.

"Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you invite me to your house? Why do you treat me like your friend? I'm nothing but a stranger to you. I could be a bandit or even a serial killer. Don't you be afraid if I'm one of those people?"

"Because you are lost."

"What?"

"You are lost. You don't know what you will do. You already lost your purpose. You don't have any more hope in you."

"How…?"

"Because that is what we felt not too long ago. We are constantly running away from the vampire and constantly seeing our family members get taken away from us. As we continue running, we begin to lose hope, and we don't know what we will do. We don't have any more purpose in continuing living. We are moving from place to place to run away from the vampire coming at us just because we are human. However, one day, we met this young man. He is a gentle soul. He helps us, a strangers that he has never met. He doesn't know if we are a bandit or a serial killer, but he accepts us all. He takes care of the one that has an illness. He takes care of the one that is injured. He gives us food, a place to sleep, and, most importantly, he gives us hope."

"Lexian Vongola."

"Yes. Lord Lexian gives us a ray of hope at the moment where we all lose hope, and I see my past self in you. You don't know what to do, you lost your purpose, and you don't have any hope. I want to give you a hope like Lord Lexian gave to us all."

"... Thank you."

"No problem. Now come on, I will teach you how to be a farmer."

I smile at the old man and follow him to the garden, where he teaches me how to cultivate the land.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~25 June 2008~

It has been two years since I stayed in this village or should I say town as it has been a year since it expanded and changed from a village to a town. It also has been two years since I became a farmer. If my past self sees me right now, she will laugh at my job. However, I'm glad to come here and become a farmer.

After coming here, I know what families feel like. From a child, I grow up fed with something like I will become a high-ranking exorcist, and the one that feeds me those thoughts is the priest that sees me as the next Jeanne D'Arc. When I join the 'Hero' faction, Cao Cao feeds me the idea that I will be humanity's savior by killing all the supernatural creatures.

However, after coming here, I begin to develop a new look at the world. We, humans, are fickle creatures. Humans can be the kindest beings on the planet that even an angel would praise them. However, humans can also be the evilest creatures that make the old satan jealous.

In staying here, I also begin to discard my racism against the other race other than humans. I meet many kinds of races that come to this town, from a Goblin to Harpy. I see them all chatting with each other with a smile on their face.

Without me knowing, I become a member of the Vongola family under the wing of our sky, Lord Vongola, or what the old man Ivan calls it.

Ivan is the old man who brought me to his house and the old man that adopted me into his family without my consent. However, for some reason, I like it.

Right now, Elena (Ivan Wife) and I just finished taking a bath in the local hot spring.

"Ahhh~ What a relaxing bath. Don't you think so, Jeanne?"

"Yeah, you are right, Elena."

"Call me, mother. It has been two years~."

"... Maybe later."

"That is always your excuse."

"I…"

Before I could finish my sentences, I heard a roar in the distance. As I look up to the sky, I see ten or so dragons flying toward here.

"Elena, you should go evacuate with the other."

"What about you?"

"I will help the other defend this town."

".. Very well. Be Careful."

"Yes… Mother."

Elena smiled at me before saying.

"Work hard, my daughter."

I nod and see her begin to run to the underground bunker. When I see Elena is gone from my sight, I look up to the sky and see the dragon begin to attack the barrier with their fire. I begin to run toward the wall where many guards are already repairing to defend the town.

"Jeanne! Here take this!"

I look at the Vongola Defence Force leader that was placed in this town and catch the item he tosses to me. It was a standard flame pistol. Unlike the flame user's specialized flame pistol, it doesn't need its user to be a flame user. However, because of that, this pistol needs ammo.

"Thank you."

"Take your melee weapon. There is a spare weapon in the back, and you can take anything you want."

I nod at his instruction and begin to take out a rapier from the weaponry. After taking out the weapon, I followed the captain's instruction, where he told me to go to the wall and guard the cannon and the one that repaired the barrier.

I see the dragon continue to attack the barrier, but the barrier holds their ground against ten or more dragons with ease. While the dragon attacks the barrier, we attack them with everything we got.

However, as time passes by, the feeling of dread begins to creep up my spine. I don't know what it is, but it was coming from the south side of the town.

"Jeanne! What happened? You suddenly stop attacking."

I snapped from my thought and looked at the captain and said.

"I have a bad feeling. I don't know what will happen, but something bad will happen in the southside of the town."

"... Go see it then."

"What?"

"I said you go and see it. There are only a few guard stations over there. You go."

"But…"

"Follow your instinct, especially something that makes you really uneasy about it."

"Okay. I'm sorry, captain."

I nod at him for the last time before running to the south wall. However, before I could even reach my destination, a huge explosion was happening from the south. I look up and see there are another twenty or so dragons attacking the barrier at once.

I pray to whoever gods that will hear that the people guarding the south wall are okay.

As I arrive at my destination, I see cracks in the barrier, and the people cannot maintain the barrier because they are low in number and people in this area are not a flame user. I immediately join the fight and shoot the dragon that tries to get inside but unfortunately for us, the dragon begins another huge attack that destroys a huge chunk of the barrier.

I grit my teeth and continue to fight against the dragon that begins to fly inside the barrier.

"Jeanne! Watch out!"

I don't know what is happening, but suddenly my body gets thrown away. I look up and see Ivan standing there with half his body burned up to rescue me from the dragon attack. Seeing his condition, I began to run toward him and bring him to a safe place.

"Ivan! Ivan! Ivan! Are you okay?"

"Ahhh, it was nothing. I'm glad you are okay."

"You stupid, why are you in here?!? You are already too old for this job! How can you be this reckless!"

"Heh, It was my nature."

I reached into my pocket and took out the emergency potion the captain gave me a long time ago.

"Here, drink this."

"Ahhh, thank you."

I let Ivan drink the potion, and after a few seconds, I can see his body begin to heal up.

*BOOM*

However, before I could take him to the healing tent, the wall behind us exploded. Ivan and I get thrown away by the explosion, but other than that, we are okay. I slowly get up and look at the wall that got destroyed. I widen my eyes when I see a dragonfly down and stand on top of the wall looking at me.

Is this how I die? Is this how my fate will always be? Losing my purpose, losing my family, and losing my life. Can I change my fate? Can I protect my only father figure in my life? I'm ready to embrace death, but I want to give my life to the people that give me hope. Is there anything I can do? If there are any gods, hear me… Please help me protect my father…

I snap from my desperation when something shiny appears above me.

The Heavens tell a distant glory.

Peace, Life, Prosperity, Happiness, and Unshed Tears.

To protect such a thing, let this endless desire burn true.

For the future, for the sake of humanity, this flag will billow.

A sign. Prayer for better times.

It was a sign of victory.

It was a sign of hope.

"Luminosité Éternelle"

Let the world see the light of hope once again.