Description: Shader's point of view of the end of the MANGA. SPOILER ALERT! One shot (A really really REALLY long one!)
Authors Note: Ok this is what I think happened at the final scene between Chrono and Aion. Some of the dialogue is actually in the manga some was improvised by me. Again, this is what I think happened!
Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Crusade. It belongs to Daisuke Moriyama-sama.
I looked at the disaster of Pandemonium. Pandemonium was becoming surrounded by the Astral line and drifting to space. I leaned over my desk and spoke though the microphone to Remington and the apostles on Eden.
"Thank you all…apostles. I will have Eden separate from Pandemonium. I want to…allow you all to safely reach the surface" I said slowly. I sighed and turned off the microphone. "The game is over! Aion…there are no more chess pieces left on the board…regardless if there was a knight or a rook…all that is left is to wrap it up…ruining a game really doesn't interest me…"
The outside barrier is set to crumble in six weeks. The core has authorized manual control. The straight distance to the wall has started repositioning. Danger. Requesting new instructions. The outside barrier is set to crumble in fifty-five weeks. The computers system said in its robotic tone.
I left the room for the last time and walked down the laborite hallways. I heard voices coming from the outside room. By this time we were already above the Earth.
"Without my sword I feel pretty ill. So, you bore this suffering for the past 50 years eh Chrono?" I heard Aion say. I stayed hidden in the shadows. I pressed up against the wall and pinned my cat ears against my head.
"That woman? Is she the one…?" I heard Chrono ask tentatively. It was good to hear my friend talking. I just wish it wasn't for this reason. I had missed him ever since he left but I knew what was coming next. Aion had taken too much from his brother. He thought it was wrong to make things dear to you like Chrono had done with Magdalene and Rosette. I don't know Rosette that well but Magdalene was such a sweet young woman. But if Rosette was anything like her brother, Joshua, she was sweet too.
"Yes…Pandemonium's core system replacement. The untuned human Ririsu." Aion replied, "When she was brought here she was already pregnant. Actually…it doesn't matter if you know this or not. It's just that I was thinking…at least…to let you…"
"Aion don't tell me that you actually…?" Chrono asked. I heard Aion laugh.
"You're an idiot! Don't be mistaken! This is nothing more than a container for Pandemonium! Actually, she…died a long time ago, giving birth to us." Aion said.
"'Death cannot demand to continue moving forward in the purpose of living' Is that how it is?" Chrono asked.
Aion smirked, "No matter who it is not having to rely on others, and being able to reign over "Worlds End" But…the system tightly controls humanity, completely stripes them of freedom…and the strength of their wings to fly. Government. Religion. Society." He said. He looked straight at Chrono. "Whether it be God or demon, It's all just all a creation of someone's imagination. A method for binding humanity to society. That is what I hate the most!"
Chrono looked at his brother, "So that's what your objective was, to bring about 'Worlds End'? To drawn in the world into sacrificing everything?"
"Yeah. Whatever, it now comes to this. Ha ha. I wonder where I went wrong" Aion said looking down at the floor as he sat on the stairs, "Rosette Christopher. That little girl was someone I had not anticipated. Who would have thought that such a brat could have appeared? Just a mere human…a worthless being that is only part of this cycle of life an death, who's soul will disappear someday. Who knew…that she..?"
"Aion" Chrono said looking down. He looked back up at his brother. It was easy to see the affection for this Rosette when he talked about her in his blood red eyes, "It is because of her that I am able to keep fighting. It is because of her that we are here now. That's why I wish to create a future for her."
Aion stode up. He stode slumped over and looked at his brother who stode tall.
"Is that so? In that case, this will be our 'Worlds end'. Because of our opposing objectives, that is why we will finish it here." Aion snarled.
The two brothers gritted their teeth and looked coldly at each other. I winced knowing this was the final battle. A battle to the death for two brothers that use to be best friends. Best friends that were now their enemies. Their arm glowed as their sword took its place.
This is when I chose to step out of the shadows and into full view. My tail drooped down to the ground and I watched in sadness as Chrono charged Aion like a bull charging a matador. There was no forgiveness in either brother's eyes, only a cold determination.
Chrono had always been my friend ever since I could remember. Although he wasn't reliable. He had no self confidence and had always be unstable mental wise. He had always believed in what Aion said. It took Mary Magdalene; the holy woman Aion had told him to kidnap, to show him the right path. That path paved the road that he traveled down today.
Aion had always been a leader. He had the air of confidence that had always comforted me and made me want to show him what I could do. He knew what he wanted and would stop at nothing for it. I wanted the same thing, freedom from Pandemonium, but I wouldn't go as far as he did. He was outraged when Chrono disobeyed him when he ordered his twin to kill the woman he loved. He thought it was wrong to make humans close since they would all eventually die. Yet he had been hurt when Chrono didn't listen. He did care for his comrades and would protect them when they were weak but his dream had to come first.
The glint of the swords danced on the ceiling. The clink and clashes echoed though the big empty room. I felt so helpless and depressed to see the two that use to be so close fighting each other and there was nothing I could do to stop it. There was no more waiting or holding back, this was a fight to the death.
"I must say Chrono, your skills have improved" Aion said with a smirk. Chrono chuckled.
"I've finally realized that I've been waiting for this for a long time" he growled.
Aion hissed and slashed his sword across Chronos face. Chrono howled in pain and fell back. He covered his eye with a hand. Blood ran though his fingers and down his arm. Aion grinned and took advantage of Chronos vulnerableness. I winced and tried to look away but couldn't bring my self to do so.
Aion stode triumphantly over his wounded brother grinning.
"Chrono…" I whimpered taking a few steps forward.
Aion held out his hand out to stop me. I stopped and bit my bottom lip. Chrono can't die like this. He just couldn't. He was only just becoming stronger. He was like a blossom that was just beginning to bloom into a beautiful person.
I felt panic raise up within me as Aion slowly pulled his sword back with a low chuckle. He smiled evilly and looked down coldly.
In the flash of an eye Chrono swiftly thrust his sword up and though Aion. Aion stumbled back making low gurgling noises. A thin trickle of blood came from his mouth.
"You've d…done good…brother" Aion said. He fell backwards and his eyes closed. All was still and quiet.
Chrono crouched there still covering his bleeding eyes and breathed heavily. He stared straight forward with a distant shocked look in his red eyes.
I stode there for a moment in shock. Aion was dead, killed by his brother. I pulled myself together and ran over to my friend.
"Chrono! Are you ok?" I asked concerned. I couched down in front of him. His right eye was badly injured, maybe blind. He had a glazed look in his other eye.
"Its over. It's finally over" Chrono said not changing his glance.
"Yes. Now we need to go" I sad. He looked up at me with a confused look in his dull eyes.
"Go? Why would we go?" he asked.
"We need to go back to Rosette now. I'm sure she's worried about you" I said in a quick attempt to get him out. Chrono looked at me. The glassy look left his eyes and he seemed to realize what was happening.
"Rosette" he whispered. He pursed his lips and a new determination flared up in his eyes, "Yes. I promised her I'd come back"
"Then let's go." I said. I stode up and offered my hand to him. He gratefully took it and stood up.
Upon standing up he reverted back to his older human form. No matter what form he took he was always handsome. His twelve year old human form was the most amusing. It was so cute. I always just want to pinch his little cheeks and ruffle his purple hair.
Anyway, I'm going off track. He transformed back to his older human form. Apart from his injury to his eye he also had other serious wounds including a severed arm. After his transformation he clumped other and began to cough up blood.
"Common Chrono! We've got to hurry!" I encouraged him. The further we walked the worse his condition became. We finally arrived at the ship and I helped him in.
"Just stick tight, Chrono. I'll come back and see to you as soon as I can get us out of here" I said. There was no reply, not that I expected one seeing that he could barely breath. I quickly started the ship and flew out of the crumbling Pandemonium towards the disastrous Earth. I took one last glance at Pandemonium. Good bye Aion.
Once I was out of Pandemonium I switched the ship to autopilot and hurried back to Chrono.
Chrono was sitting on the floor slumped over against the wall. His eyes were closed and he was still. Panic flashed though me but subsided when I saw his chest rise. I crouched down in front of him once again.
"Chrono lets go to the back cabin area so you'll be more comfortable" I suggested. He nodded barley conscious. I helped him hobble to the cabin area. He plopped down exhausted on the bed, wheezing. I looked at him for a moment then went to the closet. I rummaged though the bed sheets and pillow cases until I found a first aid kit.
"I need you to sit as still as you can for me, ok?" I asked as I walked over. Chrono nodded again. I bandaged up his arm and other wounds. I looked at his eye. Just by looking I could tell he would never see from it again.
"I'm so sorry Chrono" I said.
"No. I should be sorry. I'm sorry you had to see that and…Aion" Chrono said barley auditable. Aion collapsing on the ground flashed though my eyes. I winced but tried to cover it up with a smile.
"Don't worry about it. I knew it was coming" I said heaving a sigh. I began to wrap Chronos eye. He sighed.
"I…I don't know what I thought. I think I thought…that maybe he would change…that we couldn't have to fight. But deep down…I knew it would only come to this. Everyone knew it…" he said. I decided to just listen. I didn't know what to say to comfort him.
Chrono didn't speak after that. I could tell it was hard, he was deep in thought. I could only imagine what was going though that mind of his. I finished wrapping him and put the first aid kit away.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Chronos condition worsened instead of improved. My reasoning for this is because of Rosette. I personally didn't know her that well but I knew her brother.
Her brother was an apostle that Aion kidnapped. Aion gave her brother, Joshua, Chronos horns. His horns made Joshua forget him memories of Rosette. Well, he knew he had a sister named Rosette but he didn't know what she looked like. Joshua had always been so sweet and kind. He always wanted to be stronger so he could protect his loved ones. If Rosette was anything like her brother, then I liked her.
I think Chrono was ill because he wanted Rosette. Chrono seemed to get a little worse everyday. His skin was deathly pale (even for a demon), he had dark circles under his tired eyes and he was getting thin. His wounds were healing extremely slow and he refused to transform to his demon form.
One fateful day when I thought he couldn't get any worse we landed back at Earth. He and I rested for a while then when he was well enough to travel we made out way back to the beach house where Joshua and Fiore had lived in.
Fiore was kidnapped by Aion when he burned down her home. Her name was originally Florette Harvenheit. She and her sister, Satella, and their butler were the only ones that survived. Satella had traveled with Chrono and Rosette and their apostle friend, Azmaria, for a while.
I helped Chrono in and began to think of a way to cure him. I couldn't think of anything since I didn't even know what was causing this.
A few days later Chrono began to get better bit by bit. He began to smile again and was more talkative. He even laughed. Seeing a familiar setting must be helping.
"Why don't we go se Rosette?" I asked him one day at supper.
"I can't see her now. Not like this." Chrono said with a shrug.
"But you could get better quicker" I said.
"Its fine, Shader. I'll know when the times right" Chrono said with a smile.
His smile soothed me. He sat back and sighed.
"I'm stuffed!" he exclaimed, "Want to go walk on the beach? It's nice weather out."
"You sure you're up to it?" I asked warily.
"You need to lighten up Shader. I'm feeling good today. I have a good feeling about something" he said laughing.
"Alright. You go ahead and get ready. I'm going to put the dishes in the sink" I said.
"Ok. I'll get your jacket for you. It's a little chilly out" he said.
"Ok thanks" I called as he walked to the other room. I picked up the dishes and put them in the sink. I didn't hear him come back so I began to wash the dishes. After a few minutes I realized I didn't hear him moving around in the room. Fear that he might have collapsed, I put the plate I had been washing down and walked to the back room. I looked around. Fear rose in me when I didn't see him.
"Chrono?" I asked. I looked though the other rooms.
"Chrono!" I asked. I could hear the panic in my own voice rise. I heard the door open. Chrono stood in the doorway with a young woman slung over his shoulder.
"I saw two people on the beach from the window. I could only carry one and they both have some kind of crystallization affect" he explained. I rushed forward and took the woman from him.
"Go get the other one" I said. He nodded and ran out to the beach. I took the girl down to my lab under the house and set her down carefully. Why did she look so familiar? I heard footsteps behind me.
"Shader, its Fiore and Satella" Chrono said. I gasped.
"Fiore!" I gasped. I ran forward and took my old friend off of his shoulder. That's why they looked so familiar! Satella looked like Fiore in the face.
Chrono walked over to Satella.
"I…I thought she was dead" he said.
"I did too" I said. I brainstormed ways to reverse the crystallization. Chrono stood up with a gasp.
"Shader…I have to go" he said. He stared straight ahead as if he could see something.
"Go? Now?" I asked.
"Yes, its time. I think something's wrong" Chrono said. He looked at me apologetically. My heart sank. I knew this day would come, I just didn't expect it to be so soon.
"I understand Chrono" I said.
Chrono walked over to me. He looked down at me.
"I really appreciate everything you have done for me." Chrono said. I smiled and swallowed a lump in my throat.
"And I appreciate you putting up with me for so long." I said with a short laugh.
"Hey, don't be sad." He said. "This isn't a 'good-bye' it's more like an 'until-next-time'"
I smiled. He had finally blossomed. He was strong now. Though his wounds still weren't healed and he would never get his arm back or sight in his eye. He had courage.
"Then I'll see you later" I said. Chrono smiled and turned away from me. He walked to the door but stopped. He looked back with a grin and waved. I waved back and watched with a smile as he walked away. I was glad to see him walk away. I would see him again and I wouldn't wait until then to see how much more he had blossomed. But until then I had to move on and concentrate on the now. And right now I had two girls that needed my help and I would help them to the best of my ability (And don't forget I'm an evil genius)
A/N: Please review and favorite or whatever you can do on here. Thanks to those who have read this far, I know. It's a long one-shot. XP