The First Contract:
Heaven Bound To Hell
"The Roaring Twenties. An era in which science has not yet illuminated the dark of night. This is just part of the story of those who fight against the dwellers in darkness."
"Aaugh!" he screamed. His red tunic was shredded, his violet ponytail flaying about. He swung around, blood flying from a long gash he made with his claws. He leaped back, the monster staggering forward. He clutched his arm, closing up his wound. He grimaced, turning back.
"Hurry up Rosette!" he screamed. She nodded, hastily assembling a gun. She tossed her blonde hair back, fumbling through her blue nun clothing for bullets. The monster gained a sudden boost of strength, and leaped. He saw that it was headed for Rosette, about to hit her. He gasped, leaping in the way. The two rolled on the floor, the monster snapping at his face. He held the monster's massive jaws back with his good arm, drool falling onto his face.
"Rosette!" he cried again.
The monster fell back, four holes appearing in its side. It screeched, another bullet hitting its side, exploding with white light. It struggled, and finally vaporized into black mist.
Rosette ran up to her wounded partner.
"Oh no, Chrono?" she called out.
He twitched, trying to rise. He failed, falling weakly onto his side.
"My arm's hurt," he said quietly. Rosette grabbed his arm gently, blood falling onto her hand. She grimaced. Gross.
"Let's see if I have something to wrap it up," she said, digging into her pockets. Chrono coughed, spraying more blood onto the ground.
"It won't help," he said faintly. Rosette gazed at him, her hands falling down to her chest. She clasped an old pocket watch, her fingers closing in upon the knob.
"Don't," he said, grabbing her hand. He lifted himself up, his face twisted in pain.
"Don't be stupid. It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he said. Rosette pouted, hitting him on the head.
"Ouch!" he yelped. Rosette grabbed his arm, wrapping it in gauze. She frowned.
"How can you tell me not to worry?" she asked angrily. "You're bleeding all over my hand!" He, in spite of himself, smirked. She helped him up, limping to the car. He stopped, staring at their vehicle.
"…please tell me this one isn't ours," he said.
The car was crushed, a scrap heap burning. Rosette stared at the fiery mess of metal and laughed.
"Oops," she said. "I kind of forgot about that." Chrono yelled, startling her.
"Rosette!" he cried. "Not again!
Sister Kate slammed her fist down onto her desk.
"Not again Sister Rosette!" she cried.
"If you think about it, it's the first car I've wrecked this week," Rosette said, putting her fingers together nervously. Sister Kate shrieked, tossing a mug at her.
"It's the tenth one overall!" she cried. Rosette massaged her head, a bruise forming. Sister Kate sat down, sighing.
"What of Chrono?" Sister Kate asked in a more serious tone. Rosette looked down, putting her hands behind her.
"He… still hasn't woken up yet," she said.
Stop it!
AION!
Aion turned to Chrono, a smile on his face. His white silvery hair billowed, green light lighting up the chamber. His skin was tan, his sharp purple eyes mocking Chrono. In his hands was a bloody head, severed at the neck.
"What's with the long face, Chrono?" Aion asked, snickering. "Look… now there's no one to blame us!" Chrono froze, staring at the decapitated head. The hair turned from silver to a rich golden yellow, the eyes snapping open. Blue eyes that stared into his soul.
Chrono stepped back, the head in his own hands. The body lay at his feet, blood everywhere. The head opened her mouth.
"You are Chrono… the one who will take my life," she whispered. The hair shortened, the head changing into a familiar face.
Rosette screamed, as Chrono's claws swiped through her neck.
"No!" he screamed. Chrono found himself on the floor, his arm bandaged up. He was breathing heavily, moonlight streaming though the window.
"Awake, are you?" an elderly voice said. Chrono rose to see a tall blonde man leaning on the wall, a thick cross the size of a notebook hanging on his belt.
"Father Remington," Chrono said. The minister nodded, pulling his hands out of his pockets.
"Rosette is worried about you," he stated. Chrono said nothing. Remington sighed, stepping forward.
"The Elder did what he could," he continued, "but… for obvious reasons… he couldn't completely restore your legion." Chrono nodded. His braid was undone, his purple hair cascading over the bed.
"Is…" Chrono said softly, "…is Rosette alright?" Remington nodded.
"Didn't get a scratch, because of you," Remington said. "But…" He didn't finish. Chrono knew what he was going to say.
"Because of me, she's dying little by little everyday," he thought. Remington tossed something at him, snapping him out of his reverie.
"What's this?" Chrono asked.
"The Elder's newest invention," Remington said, "it's a capsule."
"Filled with what?" Chrono asked. Remington paused before answering.
"Astral energy," Remington answered.
Chrono stopped, staring at the priest.
No… it couldn't be…
"It's experimental still," Remington continued, "but, The Elder thought if anyone were to test it out, it would be you." Chrono stared at the capsule in his hands. They were the size of a bullet, two silver pills that had the Magdalene seal stamped on it.
Could these be…
"Father…" Chrono said. He looked up to find the room empty, Remington gone. Chrono frowned, clutching the capsules. He wondered… could these help him undo all he's done?
"Can this help save you," he whispered, "…Rosette?"
"Humph," Rosette grumbled, "I bust up one car, and I have to scrub the floors to the whole place?" Sister Clair laughed, passing by. She brushed her dark ebony hair out of the way, carrying a broom.
"It's not just one car, Rosette," she said. Two other Sisters were behind her, one with green eyes and red hair with freckles, and a younger blonde nun with blue eyes.
"Yeah," Sister Anna said, "Wasn't that your tenth?" Rosette fumed, squeezing out the rag.
"If they weren't all junk to begin with this wouldn't matter," Rosette said. A shadow loomed over her.
"Is that so? Should I add to your punishment?" Sister Kate asked threateningly. Rosette yelped, scampering away.
"Geeze! Don't do that!" she cried.
"I suggest to you young lady, to keep your thoughts to yourself," Sister Kate said darkly. Rosette went back to work, complaining about her back.
Chrono watched her from the door. He had his red jacket on, his hair still undone. He sighed, laughing inwardly.
Rosette caught sight of him by the door and walked up to him.
"Chrono!" she cried happily. "Are you feeling better?" He nodded.
"Yeah," he said. A mop was forcefully shoved into his arms, making him wheeze.
"Good, now help me clean up," she said gruffly. Chrono sighed, pushing the mop back and forth along the wooden floor. Rosette was on her hands and knees, scrubbing with a rag.
"Darn old Sister Kate," she grumbled, "making me wash the floors…" Chrono smiled. She looked funny, scrubbing the floors violently, bitterly mumbling under her breath.
"Oh!" Rosette said as she remembered something. "The Elder wants to see us later. After I'm done with my chores…" The two of them looked down to the end of the room. It was enormous… and they were about only ten feet from the entrance.
"I doubt we'll finish today," Chrono said, "much less in time to see The Elder." Rosette grinned. She had a mischievously dangerous look on. The one she had whenever she was about to get into very deep trouble.
"We don't have to finish now," she said, grabbing Chrono, rushing out of the church.
"But Rosette," Chrono blurted, Rosette's fist walloping him on the head. She put a finger on her lips, shushing him.
"Quiet!" she hissed. "Can't you see we're sneaking off?" Chrono said nothing as she dragged him along. They made their way through the complex, ending up in a small one leveled building. She entered, slowly opening the door. It creaked, making Rosette flinch.
"Darn," she whispered, pulling out her gun, "there goes my sneak attack." She walked in, Chrono staying nervously behind.
"What are you…" Chrono began, being once again forcefully hushed by Rosette. She put her smoldering fist back on the gun, aiming around the dark room. She cackled and aimed, firing a bullet.
"Got you!" she cried. The lights came up, an old man in a lab coat stumbling along the room between the tables. He was rubbing his chest, a small black dot on his coat.
"I thought I said to use blanks!" he shouted. Rosette shrugged.
"I forgot," she said. Chrono and Rosette walked up to The Elder. He had weird glasses on, which made his eyes appear red. He pushed papers off of one table.
"What did you want to see us for?" Rosette asked. The Elder grinned at them.
"Aren't you supposed to be scrubbing floors right now?" he asked.
"Do you want to see us or not?" Rosette asked darkly, her hand drilling into The Elder's skull. He threw her hand away, grumbling.
"Respect your elders girl," he muttered. He cleared his throat, pulling a chart from his coat. He spread it out onto the table. It showed a grid, a line graph with a red squiggly arrow going sharply up.
"We're in for it," he said, "I predict that we're going to have a sharp influx of demonic presence soon."
"But it's going to be Christmas in a week!" Rosette cried.
"And what better time to hunt down human souls than during the time crowds of people travel during the holidays?" The Elder asked. He looked at the two of them.
"I'm telling you two this because you're the best exorcists in the Order. That…" he stared at Rosette's chest, "and I was hoping you'd be alone." Rosette grimaced, popping the perverted old man in the jaw. She turned away, walking off. She then noticed Chrono was still standing there, not following her.
"Ahem," she said, "we're supposed to be storming out angrily!" Chrono paused.
"I need to talk to the Elder about something. I'll meet you back at the chapel," he said. Rosette frowned, walking out. The Elder rose, nursing his jaw.
"What a blonde bombshell," he said, "emphasis on the bombshell part." Chrono turned to him, pulling his hand out of his pocket.
"When are you going to get your hair fixed?" The Elder asked. Chrono turned around to see his long hair nearly touching the floor.
"I dunno," he said. He then placed his palm on the table, two silver bullet sized pills rolling around. "Elder… what are these for?"
The Elder stopped, gazing at the capsules. He picked one up, analyzing it.
"So Remington gave you them, eh?" he asked. Chrono nodded. The Elder paused to think, then turned to Chrono.
"I made these to store Astral energy," he said, "not unlike that pocket watch Rosette has." He put the capsule down.
"This capsule is supposed to release the energy when the seal is broken. Think of it as an Astral battery." The Elder said.
"When it's released, what does it do?" Chrono asked. The Elder shrugged.
"I don't know. It could be a failure and not work at all. Or it could help in destroying demons. Or even better," the Elder said.
"Could… Could this energy by absorbed by a demon?" Chrono asked tentatively. The Elder stared at him, crossing his arms.
"That is possible," The Elder replied. "But I don't think that's what you want to ask. What's really on your mind, Chrono?" He didn't reply, a sad look on his face. He looked back up to The Elder.
"Can we… put this back into the pocket watch? Can you use this to get Rosette's soul whole again?" Chrono asked.
Rosette yawned. She plopped onto her bed, snuggling into the white sheets. The moon streamed through the window, casting a white glow on her and her bed.
"It looks so bright," she whispered. "Just like the night…"
A vision of feathers. A little boy screaming in pain. Calling out her name. Strong arms holding her back. She needed to reach out to him. The boy fell onto his side, clutching his head. Blood spurted from behind his ears, two horns exploding out of his head. No! She tried to reach him, when a tornado consumed him. She was about to get sucked in, when those strong arms pulled her back, lifting her into the night sky. The tornado vanished, and the boy did too.
Rosette wiped a tear away. She leaned back upon her pillow, her arms stretched out behind her head. Christmas, huh? More work. More demons.
Rosette sat up in realization. Christmas! Of course! What better time to get Chrono's mind off of things than Christmas! It was a sure fire plan. She just needed to go buy him a present. That'll solve everything.
A little thought came into her mind, and sent her dreams crashing down.
"I don't… have any… money…" Rosette groggily said. Shoot. There went that idea. But, she couldn't just let Chrono get nothing. She had to get him at least SOMETHING!
"Rosette? Are you sick?" Sister Claire asked. Rosette caught her expression in the mirror. She looked like she was about to throw up. She shook her head, regaining composure.
"No. I just realized that it's Christmas next week," she said. Claire nodded.
"Yeah. We're going to do the nativity play. We're doing casting for parts. You should try out!" Claire said happily. Rosette stifled a laugh.
"I'm terrible! Plus, I wouldn't want to be a pregnant lady anyhow," Rosette said. Claire put the towels away in the dresser nodding.
"Oh well. Anna wouldn't have even let you try out anyway," Claire said. Rosette snapped, standing up.
"Is that so, huh?" she said, anger in her voice.
"Don't take it personal Rosette!" Claire said quickly.
"I'll give her a piece of my mind!" Rosette growled, running out of her room. She raced down the halls of the girls' dorms, unable to find Anna.
"Maybe she's in the church!" she thought. She ran out, racing down the hallways. She tripped, flying into the air.
"WAAGH!" she cried, about to hit the floor.
"Oof!" someone said, as Rosette crashed into the person. He cushioned her landing, landing flat on a small person in red.
It was Chrono.
"Aah! What are you doing prowling the halls?" she cried out, strangling him. "Do you know how much you scared me?" Chrono shook his head, going blue in the face.
"Can't… BREATHE!" he coughed out. Rosette looked down, completely unaware that she was choking him. She let go, Chrono's face getting color again.
"What are you doing scampering around in your pajamas?" Chrono asked, covering his face. She looked down to see her clothes askew, nearly revealing her body. She went red, pulling her clothes up, pummeling Chrono again.
"What are you doing looking there in the first place?" she cried. People began to open their doors, staring at the commotion.
"Why are you even out of your room?" he cried, blocking her punches.
"Why are you out of yours?" she retorted, starting to bite him. He cried out as she got him in a headlock, chomping on his pointy ears.
"What is going on?" Sister Kate said, running up to the two. Rosette stopped, her teeth on Chrono, his thumbs inside her mouth pulling on her cheeks. Sister Kate tapped her fingers as they let go of each other.
"Nothing!" Rosette said. Sister Kate glared at her.
"Back to your dorm. And no more midnight brawls, do you hear me?" she said as the two walked away.
"Yeah, yeah," Rosette said under her breath, "you bitter old lady…"
"What did you say?" Sister Kate screamed.
"Run Chrono!" Rosette cried, running away as Sister Kate chased her.
"I doubt she'll find us here," Rosette gasped. Chrono sighed, taking his jacket off. They were on the roof, how they got there a mystery to them both.
"It's chilly," Rosette said, wrapping her arms around her. She had nothing but a thin layer of pajamas, after all. Chrono laid his jacket on her shoulders, sitting next to her.
"You're so dumb," he said. Rosette frowned, but didn't hit him. Her hands were too busy trying to get warm. He stared out at the moon, a sad look forming on his face.
"It's so bright," he commented. Rosette nodded.
"Yeah," she replied. They said nothing for a while, catching their breaths from the chase Sister Kate gave them. Rosette put her hand down, and found she had it on Chrono's.
"Sorry," she said hurriedly, moving it off of his.
"What's wrong?" Chrono asked.
"Nothing," Rosette said quickly.
"You're turning red," Chrono stated bluntly.
"Am I? It must be from the run," Rosette said. Chrono rolled his eyes, resting his chin on his knees. Rosette shivered, but was warmer. She pulled the jacket close to her, glancing at Chrono. She caught sight of his arm, which was still bandaged.
"Is your arm healed?" she asked. Chrono shook his head.
"No… it'll be a while. But I can wait," he said. Rosette pulled him close, making him sit in between her legs.
"What are you…" Chrono began.
"Don't get excited," she said, bonking him lightly on the noggin, "I'm going to fix your hair." She put her hands into the indigo sea, pulling his hair back. It was strangely soft. She ran her hands through it. Imagine… doing nothing but stroking this ocean of silk soft hair.
Rosette began to braid it, Chrono saying nothing as she did so. She held some in her teeth, her hands fumbling with it.
"Uh oh," she said.
"What?" Chrono asked.
"Nothing. …Do you have scissors?" she asked slowly. Chrono frowned.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"Nothing! Just I need some scissors… for lice," she said.
"I don't have lice!" Chrono said outraged.
"Yes you do! Look, a little demon louse," she said, putting her finger in front of Chrono so he could see. Chrono stared blankly at it.
"Rosette… that's a speck of dirt," he said.
"No! It's a demonic louse!" she cried. Chrono sighed.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"Nothing, darn you! Just… hold on. You might want to bite down on something," she said.
"Why would I–" Chrono began. He then felt a tug on his head, and a red hot pain as he felt his some hair get pulled out of his head.
"AAGH! Rosette!" Chrono cried. "Don't tell me you got my hair TANGLED?"
"No… not that much," she said, pulling on his hair. She held a couple of long violet strands in her hair, tossing them aside. Chrono gasped, as he saw a good sized clump of his own hair get tossed about in the wind.
"Let go," Chrono said, reaching behind him.
"I can fix it! I can fix it!" Rosette said.
"No way! Let go Rosette!" Chrono said, grabbing her hands. She struggled, and Chrono cried out as she pulled out even more hair.
"Oh look. There goes all of the tangled ones," she said, as a mess of hair the size of a tumbleweed rolled away.
Chrono pulled away, feeling a small bald spot on his head.
"Rosette!" he cried.
"Eep!" she yelped, trying to push him away before he got her. They tumbled along the roof, until they finally came to a stop. Rosette looked up, Chrono leaning on top of her. His hair fell down onto her, their hair entwining, a yellow and violet mix. Rosette had her hands on his shoulders, his arms wrapped around her body.
"Um…" he said, going red. Rosette blushed, doing nothing. They stayed like that for a good while, until a loud crash startled them both.
Chrono rose, and threw his arm back, blocking Rosette. He grimaced, his eyes dilating.
"What is it?" Rosette asked. She then saw a black shadow in front of them, a few yards away on the roof.
"A demon," Chrono seethed. "Hurry, get away as fast as you can." Rosette stared at the thing. It rose, four bat wings spreading out. It had a human like head, two small horns erupting from its bald skull. It had a sickle shaped nose, a long pointy chin below grinning sharp teeth.
"Hurry, Rosette!" Chrono said. She shook her head.
"I'm taking it with you," she said.
"Don't be an idiot!" he said through grit teeth. "You can't feel it's aura! I can! This thing is out of our league." Rosette stared at him.
"Then why are you going to go up against it?" she cried. Chrono paused.
"If I go… at least it'll give you time to get out, and survive," he said quietly. Rosette stared at him. He was ready to die?
The demon laughed, stepping forward. It was all black, with two glowing red eyes. Chrono grimaced, and rushed forward, screaming. The demon laughed, leaping up, flapping its wings. It dove down, hitting Chrono. He coughed, skipping along the roof like a stone. He groggily rose, the demon diving back down. Chrono was hit again, getting up once more.
"I'm not joking Rosette!" Chrono said. "Get out!"
"I told you I'm not leaving you!" she screamed.
"Don't ask me to do this!" Chrono shrieked. Rosette flinched.
"I'm serious Rosette!" Chrono cried, grimacing. His pupils were fluctuating, turning sharp and cat like.
"You're asking me to risk your life! I've taken enough of that! I'm not going to risk you dying!" he yelled. He stared at the demon flying overhead.
"I don't care if I can't kill this thing. So long as you survive, then at least my efforts aren't wasted," he said. He rushed at the demon, getting knocked back down. The demon laughed, Chrono pulling out two vials from his pants. He threw them, the vials shattering as they hit the demon's body. A liquid splashed over the demon's arms. Smoke appeared, a hissing sound coming from the demon's sizzling flesh. It began to vaporize, the arms dissolving.
The demon smirked. Its shoulders were stumps. The ends of them began to quiver, boils breaking out. The boils grew, starting to bubble, thick throbbing veins visible on the tight skin. They burst, a new pair of arms regenerating.
"No way!" Rosette said. "The holy water didn't work?" She watched as Chrono was tossed around, the demon playing with him. She knew it could kill him instantly if it wanted to. Why was it wasting time?
Chrono hit the roof hard, cracking it. He groaned, coughing up blood. He grimaced, the demon putting its foot on his head. It pressed down, crushing Chrono's head. He gasped, holding in his scream.
"Aaugh!" Chrono finally cried out. Rosette stared at him, useless. She didn't have her guns. She only had…
She felt something in Chrono's pocket. She put her hand in it, and produced two capsules. They had the Magdalene stamp on it, the words "ASTRAL-E001" printed on the shell. Rosette clenched her hands. She bit into one, feeling it slightly break. A soft hissing, like that of escaping air came out of a small puncture in the shell. She nodded. She knew what she was going to do.
Chrono grabbed the demon's foot, sinking his fingers into the skin. It was tough – his fingers didn't even puncture it. He cried out, the foot applying more pressure to his skull. He heard small pops, as his head began to slowly break.
"Are you gone? Rosette?" Chrono asked. "I'm… sorry for everything." He gasped, trembling. "I'm sorry for the pain I've given you for all this time, but…"
Chrono cringed, tears forming on the corners of his eyes.
"I wouldn't trade our memories for anything in the world," he whispered.
A loud explosion knocked the demon, taking his foot off. Chrono gazed as the demon reeled back, a gaping hole in its body. It roared in pain and rage, recoiling. Chrono looked up, wondering what had happened.
He saw Rosette standing a few feet away, her hand set back as though she was about to throw something. A small shell rolled to Chrono, which seemed as though it was busted open in the center by a small explosion. He saw that there was a stamp on it, and realized, it was the capsules The Elder had given him.
"What in the world are these things?" Rosette asked, "I found these in your pockets. What do they do?" Chrono rose, disoriented by the demon's attack. He stumbled toward Rosette, grabbing the other capsule.
"I thought I said to get out of here," he said. Rosette fumed, knocking her fist into Chrono.
"I save you and you get mad at me?" she cried. "You're unbelievable!" Chrono turned his attention to the demon.
It was angry. It regenerated the blown up part of its body, grimacing. It glared at the two exorcists, showing its three rows of sharp teeth. It leaped into the air, diving down.
Chrono moved Rosette aside, running toward the creature. He looked at the capsule. He wasn't sure if it worked. It had exploded when it hit the demon. Maybe… maybe it was just a miniature bomb? If so, he only had one more chance to kill it. Or the thing didn't even work at all, like The Elder said, and just exploded because it couldn't do anything else.
Chrono grimaced. There was only one chance to test his theory out. He put his palm to his mouth, and gulped the capsule down.
Rosette watched as Chrono rushed forward. She saw him as he popped the capsule into his mouth. Rosette froze. What was he doing? He'd blow himself up!
Rosette was about to cry out, when something amazing happened.
Chrono gave a cry, falling to his knees. The demon rushed at him, his hands outreaching for Chrono. He touched him, when Chrono moved, grabbing the demon's wrist. He lifted his body, the demon carrying him up into the air.
Chrono roared. His eyes were red, his fingers beginning to turn into sharp claws. He tossed the demon aside, sending it tumbling into the air. Chrono began to fall, when the tails to his coat expanded, like giant wings. He hit the roof, a shockwave from the impact sending the dust flying, making the bell in the nearby tower ring.
Rosette stared at Chrono in amazement. He stood up, his frame growing bigger. His clothes changed. They became a dark, almost maroon colored jacket, and pants that ended in boots. His hair shortened, a long sharp bone spine erupting from the back of his neck.
He looked at Rosette, his eyes shining like bright red lights. They dimmed, and she could see give her a slight smile. She looked down at what he was staring at.
It was her pocket watch. She looked down, and gasped. The knob was still on. The seal wasn't broken. All of this power… it wasn't from her. She looked up.
Chrono nodded, and rushed into the air. He roared, twirling in the air. The demon roared in pain as Chrono's sharp spine sliced through it, taking off its arm. It bubbled and boiled, the demon regenerating. Chrono flew up high, the demon following it. He thrust his hand out, glowing with yellow light.
"AAUGH!" Chrono roared. The demon was hit with a blast of light, knocked down to the ground far below. Chrono dove, his hands glowing with energy. He hit the demon, blasting it up close.
The demon gave a shriek, Chrono slashing away with his claws. The creature gave a final moan, and vaporized. Chrono stood up, watching Rosette run out of the front door. She ran into Chrono's arms, staring up at him.
"Chrono! How did you–" she began. He put his hand on her head, smiling.
"It's okay Rosette," he said in a different deeper voice, "it's going to be fine." Rosette nodded, buried in Chrono's chest.
"Thanks," he eventually said, sitting down, unable to stand up properly with the way she was leaning on him. "Without you… I doubt I would have–"
Chrono stopped. Rosette looked up at him and froze. His eyes were dilated, staring out in front of him. She could feel his body tense up, shivering furiously. He gasped, blood ejecting from his mouth. He screamed, falling onto his back, twitching. He shook, arching his back, clutching his body.
"GRAWWGH!" he roared. Rosette cried out his name, standing back as his claws swiped the air.
People were coming outside, and eventually some men with guns ran out, taking aim. Rosette ran in front of them, crying out.
"Don't shoot! Please!" she said. One man raised his gun.
"It's a demon miss, we have no choice," he said. The other two did the same, aiming.
"Don't do it!" Rosette screamed, tears flowing down her face.
"Hold your fire!" a stern voice said. Rosette turned to see Sister Kate rush out, Father Remington and The Elder behind her.
"Do not shoot! It is an order!" Sister Kate demanded. They hesitantly lowered their guns.
"But Sister Kate, it is a demon on the Order's grounds! We have to do something," the first man said. Sister Kate glared at him.
"I didn't say we were doing nothing," she said gruffly, "go for a doctor, quickly." They nodded, rushing back into the building. Sister Claire and Anna came up to Rosette staring at Chrono.
"Is that Chrono?" Anna asked. Rosette nodded, covering her mouth with her hands. They stared at him in fear, as he clawed at the grass.
"So this is what happened," The Elder said, kneeling by Chrono. "Help me, will you Ewan?"
"And what do you propose I do?" Remington asked.
"Good graces man! Hold him down so he doesn't rip off my head, what do you think I want you to do?" The Elder yelled. The Father shrugged, holding Chrono down. Chrono struggled, but somehow the Father was able to keep him down.
"Okay Chrono," The Elder said, putting a stethoscope looking device to Chrono's chest, "let's see what happened to you." He then looked at him, and back at Rosette.
"Rosette, is your pocket watch undone?" he asked. She shook her head. He looked back at Chrono in surprise.
"So it DOES work," he said in amazement. Remington shook his head.
"I doubt it, or else he wouldn't be in a frenzy right now," he said.
"True, point taken," The Elder said. He put the machine to Chrono's chest, running it up his body. The Elder frowned, putting it to Chrono's stomach.
"He swallowed the capsule," he said. "I guess that was the only way to absorb the Astral."
"And I take it that was a bad idea," Remington said. The Elder nodded.
"The capsule has a lot of things to keep the Astral in there. It seems like now the components are absorbing ALL the Astral in Chrono's body," The Elder said.
"It's leeching his power," Remington said.
"Yes. We need to get it out before he dies," The Elder said. Chrono gave a violent jerk, almost throwing Remington off.
"How do you propose we do that? It's getting hard to keep him nice and cooperative," Remington said, grimacing.
"We can't operate on him," The Elder said, "There'd be no way for him to heal after the surgery. That, and I doubt any surgeon would perform it out here, much less on a struggling demon."
"Surely you have some kind of gadget for this?" Father Remington asked. The Elder grinned.
"Actually I do. Hold him down for a while, okay?" The Elder scampered off, leaving Remington alone.
"Hey! Hey, don't leave me here!" Father Remington complained.
Sister Kate came over to Rosette, a doctor behind her.
"Are you alright young lady?" the doctor asked. She nodded, turning to him.
"Can you help Chrono?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow.
"Who is Chrono?" he asked. Rosette pointed the struggling being on the grass, held back by Father Remington. The doctor gasped, stepping back.
"No, I cannot help that thing," he said, "It would kill me instantly." Rosette's eyes filled with tears.
"Please! There must be something you can do to help him!" she pleaded. "What if he dies?"
"Then good riddance to that foul being," the doctor said, walking away. Rosette stared as the doctor walked away, Sister Kate glaring at him, Claire and Anna staring in shock. Rosette fell to her knees, bowing her head. She grabbed her pocket watch, a tear falling onto the golden case.
"This is all I can do," she whispered. She put her fingers on the knob, and pulled.
Sister Kate slammed Rosette's hand down, preventing her from opening the seal.
"That won't help any," she said. "We can't have you dying as well." Rosette looked up at Sister Kate, tears streaming down her face.
"What am I supposed to do?" she cried. "How am I supposed to sit back and watch him die?" Sister Kate's face softened, bringing Rosette close to her.
"He won't die," she said, "he won't die, because he has you to live for." Rosette said nothing, surprised she was saying something so… comforting.
"So long as you stay alive, Rosette, he will come back for you," Sister Kate finished. They pulled apart, Sister Kate giving her a sad smile. Rosette nodded, looking back at Chrono. She was right. So long as she stayed alive, so would he.
The Elder came back, a board in his hands. He placed it over Chrono's body, pressing a button.
"What contraption have you got there this time?" Remington asked.
"Heh," The Elder gloated, "this device mystically and scientifically is able to see the insides of a person without actually cutting them open. Look." The Elder pointed to a skeleton glowing shape on the board, pointing to a small capsule shaped thing glowing in Chrono's insides.
"There it is. Halfway through his intestine track," The Elder said, "demon or not, he's built similar to a human."
"So how do you expect to get that out of his body?" Remington asked. The Elder grinned. He pulled out two bottles, each one filled with liquid. One was a pastel colored blue, and the other was a deep purple.
"I have two drinks, depending on where we found the capsule. This one," he pointed to the pastel colored one, "is if it was found in his stomach, or the first half of his intestines. This one is for if we found it farther into his body." He pointed to the violet bottle.
"So… what are they?" Remington asked, still clueless.
"This one would effectively eject the pill the way it came," The Elder said, shaking the pastel drink. Father Remington stared at it, and it finally hit him.
"Would that mean… he'd…?" Father Remington said in disbelief.
"Yes. This is… for a lot messier exit," The Elder said. Father Remington stared at the violet drink.
"It looks like prune juice," Remington stated.
"It is, only ten times more concentrated," The Elder laughed. Remington stared at it, not wanting to be near it at all.
"We need to get him to get out of this form, though," Remington said. The Elder nodded.
"I have a way of doing that." He turned to Rosette.
"Rosette, come over here," he called. She rose from the grass, walking over to him, barefoot.
"Yes?" she asked. She stared at Chrono, who was getting tired, but still moving in pain.
"We need you to quickly release the seal, then put it back on," The Elder said. Rosette glanced at her watch and then at Chrono.
"We think that if you reapply the seal, he'd get back to his smaller form," The Elder explained, "therefore, we can help him." Rosette nodded. She put her fingers on the knob, and pulled.
Rosette fell back, the hands on the watch turning rapidly. Chrono jolted, as blue light began to form around him.
"Rosette!" Father Remington cried out. She groped for her watch, her fingers wrapping around it. She pushed the knob down, the pocket watch stopping. Chrono gasped, enveloped in black light. It swirled around him, until it receded, Chrono back into his small form. He stopped moving, falling unconscious.
A calm fell upon the scene. Rosette tumbled exhaustedly into Remington's arms, The Elder lifting the small Chrono up. Sister Kate walked over to them, glancing from Chrono to Rosette.
"Will they be fine?" she asked. Remington nodded.
"As good… as they were before," he said sadly.
"My stomach…" Chrono groaned. He buckled over, clutching his abdomen. The Elder laughed, holding a washed capsule in his hands.
"You didn't have to give me that much juice," Chrono complained. The Elder laughed again, examining the capsule.
"I'm sorry Chrono. I don't think I can modify the capsule's structure so that you can take them," The Elder said. Chrono frowned.
"I thought I would save her," Chrono said, "instead, I just ended up hurting her even more." The Elder glanced at the somber Chrono.
"Don't worry Chrono," The Elder said, patting him on the back. "I know that's not how Rosette sees it." Chrono looked up and nodded.
"By the way," The Elder said slyly, "Christmas is coming up. What are you going to get her?"
"Wha?" Chrono said nervously, going red.
"You heard me! What is it that you're going to give her?" The Elder prodded.
"I don't know! I-I haven't thought of anything yet!" Chrono said.
"You should get her a nice pair of lacy lingerie! Red ones!" The Elder shouted excitedly. Chrono stared at him.
"I think I'm going to get something… a little less perverted than that," Chrono said, walking away. The Elder frowned, disappointed.
Chrono walked through the church, finding Rosette still scrubbing the floors, griping. He smiled and stooped down, helping her. She saw his hand with a rag scrub the floor, and looked up.
"You're better!" she said happily, throwing her arms around his neck.
"Yeah," Chrono said, going red again. She noticed him blush, and got angry.
"What? I can't even be happy to see you?" she said angrily.
"No, it's nothing like that!" Chrono cried out, but it was too late to save him from Rosette's "Noogie Twister."
"Oww oww oww!" Chrono said, grabbing at Rosette's arms. They tumbled, spilling the mop bucket over, drenching them both.
"Great," Rosette snapped, holding her arms out as they dripped. "I'm soaked. And these were clean too!" Chrono spewed water from his mouth, shaking his hair out. Chrono looked around at the mess, sighing.
"You can't ever do anything right, can you?" Chrono said, the words accidentally slipping. Rosette glared at him, as Chrono realized what he had said.
"I can't do what?" she screamed, chasing him out of the church, the two running in circles around the building.
"Come back here!" Rosette cried.
"No way!" Chrono said, his short legs moving fast, for fear of Rosette's wrath.
Father Remington looked down on the two, up from the window in Sister Kate's office.
"They're so energetic, aren't they?" he commented. Sister Kate sighed, sipping her tea.
"I wished that girl would put her efforts toward more constructive uses," she said, mixing cream into the brew. Father Remington nodded, sitting on a couch facing Sister Kate. She glanced up at him and put her tea down.
"Is there something wrong? You're not your usual self," she said.
"I called The Elder. There is something I need to tell the both of you," he said. Sister Kate stared at him in wonder. What could it be?
The Elder walked in, his hands in his pockets.
"Tell me Ewan, what is it this time?" The Elder asked. He sat next to them, Remington closing his eyes.
"A new order has come from the Bishop's Council. It is about Chrono," he said. Sister Kate and The Elder both looked at him in surprise.
"Chrono? What would they want with him?" Sister Kate asked. Remington paused before answering.
"They want to know why he hasn't been executed yet, as per code with demons," Father Remington said.
"But I thought we had cleared all that up years ago, when we brought Rosette here," The Elder said. Father Remington shook his head.
"They say that isn't enough validation. They want good proof as to why we should let him live any longer," Father Remington said. No one said anything, silence engulfing the room.
"So much for Merry Christmas," Sister Kate said quietly.
Rosette stopped, lying exhausted on the grass. She gazed up at the blue sky, Chrono walking up next to her.
"You give up?" he asked. She glared at him, and pulled his leg. He fell, landing on his back.
"There's your answer," she said. Chrono laid on the floor, his head next to Rosette's, his body facing the opposite direction. They gazed up to the azure heavens, clouds delicately rolling past.
"Rosette," Chrono said, "um… you wouldn't… happen to want clothes for Christmas, would you?" She blinked, thinking about the question.
"What kind of clothes?" she asked. Chrono gulped.
"Something… red," he said slowly. Rosette made a sound, bonking Chrono with her head.
"Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you really want to ask me," she said irritated. Chrono shook his head, turning red, even his pointy ears flushed.
"No, it's a stupid question anyways," he said. Dumb Elder.
"While we're on the subject," Rosette said, "what do you want?" Chrono stayed silent, thinking.
"Nothing, really," he said. Rosette pouted. How could she get him to be happy if he didn't want anything?
"You sure?" she asked, grabbing at threads. He nodded.
"Yeah… there isn't really anything," he said. Rosette sighed.
"Great. Now I have to think of something good to give you," Rosette grumbled, "unless you want something bad?" Chrono chuckled.
"Whatever you give me is good, Rosette," he said.
"Even if it's a clump of grass?" she asked, throwing weeds into his face, laughing. He spat them out, brushing them off his face.
"You know what I mean," he said. Rosette raised her hand, just as Chrono did. Their fingers interlocked, the both of them turning redder.
"Um…" Chrono said.
"Yeah…" Rosette replied.
"It's just our fingers," Chrono said.
"Yeah, what harm could it do?" Rosette replied.
They held each other's hand… for about ten seconds. Then they brought their hands down, inconspicuously rubbing them clean. They each sighed, as the clouds rolled away.
"You know," Rosette said, "we've got a lot of work ahead of us."
"Yeah," Chrono said, "all that demon stuff and whatnot."
Rosette turned onto her belly, Chrono doing the same. She gazed into his eyes, propping her chin up with her hands.
"Do you think we'll find a lead?" she whispered. Chrono bowed his head, playing with a blade of grass.
"If we go against more demons, there's a chance we'll find one that's seen them. We might," Chrono said. Rosette nodded.
"I… had another nightmare," Rosette said. Chrono looked up. Should he tell her too of what he dreamt about?
"Me too," Chrono said. "Of something that happened a long time ago." Rosette looked up. He looked… so sad. His hair dangled in front of his face, his red eyes downcast.
"Was it bad?" she asked. He nodded.
"I was scared. I thought I lost you," he said, "then I woke up." Rosette put her hand on top of Chrono's. He didn't move it, looking up to her.
"So long as you're with me," Rosette said, "I'll be with you. We won't lose each other." Chrono nodded.
"We're not giving up. Just keep…"
"Just keep running forward," Rosette finished. "I'll keep running forward."
"And I'll be right there with you," Chrono said.
Their hands interlocked, and this time, didn't break apart.
End of
The First Contract
To Be Continued
On The Next Episode:
The Second Amendment:
No Room For Error
Rosette the gun toting exorcist, and Chrono, her demon partner are in for another scorching adventure in the middle of winter. With the Bishop's Council homing in on Chrono to target, Father Remington, Sister Kate, and The Elder have to find a way to clear his name. Meanwhile, Chrono and Rosette have rescued a girl named Azmaria Hendric, a twelve year old soprano from Portugal, who turns out to have the powers of Healing just by singing. She becomes part of the Order, aiding the two in their quests. Things start to escalate as Christmas grows near, as do the levels of demonic activity. With every day another grueling search for demons to send to eternal oblivion, Rosette has no time to even go to the store for a present! Chrono is having the same problem, having no clue as to what to give his tomboy of a partner! Things are predictably headed for trouble, as could only happen with the two troublesome duo!