A/N : Chrono Crusade and all it's Characters belong to Daisuke Moriyama.
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Save Yourself
Shadows danced across the walls and ceiling.
Shivers were sent down the devil's back as cold air blew constantly down the shadowy hallway. It was dark, so dark that you could hold your hand not even an inch from your face and not see it. All was shady but you could see blood streaks and blood-spattered hand prints smearing the walls.
Every time Chrono took a step forward you could hear a faint sound, like a small drop of water falling from a nozzle and hitting the bottom of a sink. His red eyes darted back and forth warily. His purple braid swayed calmly back and forth.
'CHRONO! CHRONO!' A sudden, high-pitched voice screamed in his head.
'TRAITOR! YOU BACKSTABBER!' Another echoed after the first. Suddenly hundreds of voices screeched in his head. He grabbed his forehead in pain and muttered to himself.
"SHUT UP!" He gritted his teeth and fell to his knees. "ALL OF YOU BE QUIET!" He yelled. His voice echoed down the hallway and all the voices soon but vanished.
The next accent was familiar. 'Poor, poor Chrono. All those pesky devils yelling at you for leaving the Sinners. Humph. They just don't understand your true feelings, do they?' Chrono stood to his feet and glared ahead, down the black abyss.
"Aion." He clenched his fists. "What do you want?" he shouted loudly, so the voice would hear him.
'You love her. The other devils don't understand that word. Love is such a trivial topic. I see no need for love. It disgusts me, really. You fall in love, get married and spend the rest of your days doing worthless things for the one you, so call, love. Alas, you have changed to much Chrono. It makes me sad.' The devil cooed to Chrono.
"Aion, you'll never understand anything. People are amazing and wonderful things. Hey aren't pawns to kill off when you get bored." Chrono looked around to see where Aion might be.
'I can see you, but you can't see me boy. Stop trying. I have a small surprise for you. But you must come to me to receive your all but due prize.' Aion's voice faded into the night. His piercing tongue echoed in Chrono's memory. What could he possibly have for the devil in disguise?
Chrono walked for what seemed to be hours before he saw a dimly lit room. His feet stopped in the doorway. His eyes froze on a desolate scene set before him. She was there; pinned to a large crucifix, her eyes wide and blank, dried blood everywhere. A crown of thorns pierced her delicate temple and nails had been driven through her wrists and ankles.
"R – Rosette?" Chrono's voice was barely heard. His breaths became heavy as his eyes flooded the room in search of the damned devil that called himself Aion.
'Ah, yes, that was her name, wasn't it? But this is hardly the surprise, old friend. Watch closely.' Aion's chuckle echoed through the room as Chrono slowly brought his gaze back the lifeless Rosette.
Her head slowly rolled forward. Was she alive? Was there still a chance to save her? He looked closer to her eyes. They were still as white as snow. She began to pull her hands up. The nail pulled through her skin and tore up her flesh as she tried to release herself from the cross that she inhabited.
'Isn't torture FUN, Chrono? I find this quite enjoyable, don't you? If you beg enough, maybe I'll stop her from ripping a line from her wrist to her shoulder.' Aion laughed.
Chrono stared at her as she tore away flesh and blood poured from her body. "Rosette! Oh my God! Rosette stop!" Chrono screamed. The nail was already passing through her elbow. He could hear the tearing of her skin and cringed.
'Here's an idea! How about you kiss her? Haven't you ever heard of those fairy tales where the prince kisses the distressed damsel and she awakens from her long slumber?' Aion laughed humbly.
"Rosette stop!" Chrono ran over to the crucifix and stared at the woman who was ripping herself apart. He clenched his fists and leaned up, touching his lips to hers. A tear slid down his cheek as Rosette stopped moving her arms. Her body fell limp and her head swung forward, flaccid. He drew back and looked at her in horror.
'Woops. I guess I was wrong. Oh well, it was more like a Frog kissing the Princess anyway. So sad that you couldn't save her, that you couldn't save anyone.' Aion sighed as several holographic screens popped up before Chrono.
One of the screens showed Satella. But the problem was that she was lying in ruble, her heartbeat silent. She was dead along with another woman who lay not far from Satella's body. The other woman had a broken jewel in her lifeless hand. A summoner?
Another showed Father Remington, his body twisted amongst rubble of a city, his arm crushed under a wooden bench. Bullet shots punctured his torso and cranial area. Chrono couldn't stomach to look into his eyes.
Azmaria was shown in a third screen. Her body was floating in a preservation tank, surrounded by six other tanks with more children. The seven apostles had all been captured. Azmaria looked scared and alone. Her eyes were closed tightly and bubbles floated to the top of the tank.
The last and final screen showed himself. He was lying on a brick road that was stained with his own blood. His eyes were wide open and blood trickled from his scarcely open mouth. His torso had been severed in half and his chest was separated from his lower abdomen. His left arm lay several feet away from the rest of his body and a sword plunged through his heart.
The screens departed and he was left standing at the foot of the cross Rosette hung from.
'Love is such a…TRIVIAL topic, don't you agree Chrono?' Aion's voice taunted Chrono as he slowly appeared from the shadows and vanished before anything was said or done.
The nails and crown of thorns disintegrated and Rosette fell to the ground atop Chrono. He felt her heart and not a beat was heard. He saw her gravestone before him and tears streamed down his face.
"I can't save anyone. I can't even save myself." Chrono mumbled and stared and his shaky hands.