Lord Cynic: "Yes, at last, this is the last one you'll see for maybe 2 weeks, give or take. It's my first real story, and a whoppin' 7000 words at that. Still, not as long as others that I've rated fantastically. It does contain some swearing, so I apologise for that. However, if you catch the drift of the title and the summary, you'll learn a valuable lesson if you didn't already know it.
I actually had a lot of help writing this. Well, in terms of accuracy in the CC world. Oh, and typos, too. So, for the first time, I've had beta readers before submitting this. Yay.
Of course, the real test is all of you out there. Um… be gentle."
Lord Cynic: "Chrono Crusade doesn't belong to me. But I think I'm scared of turkey sandwiches now…"
My nose is not a turkey sandwich!
"Interrupt my beauty sleep by biting me, will you? I'll make you sorry for ever mistaking me for your breakfast!"
"Oh no! Rosette, c'mon, I didn't mean to! It was an accident, you gotta believe me!"
It was one of the oddest sights to ever witness in 1928. That is, of course, unless you had knowledge of the people involved in said sight. In that case, it was everyday behaviour. In fact, a young blonde, blue-eyed nun dragging a violet-haired, crimson-eyed demon boy by the ear was the norm in the Magdalene Order. People skilled enough to watch without getting caught often had discreet bets whenever they saw the girl dragging the boy. What did they bet on? The severity of Chrono's punishment.
However, this would be a day for first. No, Rosette was still going to exact her revenge on her victim. Instead, it would concern her revenge, so to speak. It would be something diabolical, something sinister, something... completely of a whole new Rosette Christopher calibre. This time, poor Chrono would not be able to live out the rest of the day, let alone the morning, without the biggest shame possible. Not after Rosette was done with him.
Yes, at that moment, it sucked to be Chrono the "Sinner".
A cookie if you can spot the irony there.
"It was an accident, was it?" Rosette hissed, Chrono's ear still in tow. "How can biting someone be an accident?"
"I was dreaming about eating a turkey sandwich, that's all," the demon boy pleaded, wincing as the sister's grip tightened sharply. "Ahhh!"
"How - the - hell," Chrono's tormentor yelled ironically (the 'hell' bit) and incredulously, "could your subconscious mind register my nose as a piece of meat between bread!"
"Ow! Ow! I don't know! I don't know!" Chrono cried, yelping with every painful tug of his ear. "How could I tell? I was asleep!"
"And I was having a very nice dream!" Rosette screeched, sending several startled birds from their trees. "My nose won't be the same for weeks!"
Her outrage was attracting bemused and bewildered stares from onlookers. She glared at them all, her nose throbbing. She had all the signs of that time when Sisters Mary, Anna and Claire teased her about destroying "a block, a building, an island".
"Even so much as raise a snigger," she growled, "and with God as my witness, I will not be responsible for my actions!"
People clasped their hands to their mouths to suppress overwhelming giggles. However, it was all in vain, and a vein in Rosette's temple throbbed dangerously (that is so messed up). Rosette trembled with rage, consequently releasing her death grip on Chrono. The demon boy rubbed his sore ear irritably, thankful for the new targets of his contractor's fury.
'She's more dangerous than any of Aion's followers,' he thought, watching the seething Rosette storming after those who dared to catch her eye. Suddenly, an obvious thought sprang to mind. 'Oh wait, I can make my escape!'
His plan of action set, he took a quick glance around, and sweatdropped lightly when he spotted the angry blonde exorcist stalking after three very familiar faces, which were screaming in fear. However, since that gave him the opportunity to escape, he took the chance. As he ran across the opposite end of the convent, however, his yellow ribbon fell out of his hair onto the grass.
"Ah, that felt good!" Rosette sighed happily, dusting her hands. Behind her, the victims of her wrath cried in despair after being tied to the clock... Don't ask. Just consider the extreme possibility that an enraged Rosette is capable of anything and everything. Oh, just be glad it's not you, okay?
Said sister stretched her arms above her head. 'You heard what I told them, right, God?' she asked mentally to the Lord. 'If they make one noise, they suffer dire consequences. That was part of the deal.' She suddenly held her head high. "No one can defy the great Sister Rosette Christopher! Hahahahahaha!"
She placed her hands on her hips and continued to cackle as her fellow sisters continued to plead for release. (A.N. - "For some reason, she reminds me of Leena from Zoids: New Century, at the end of the third episode. Disturbing.") She wore a maniacal grin on her face as she stared at the aftermath of her wrath, unleashed on those in her path. The rats in her trap yelled and screamed louder, until an evil eye from their assailant caused their silences.
"Yes," she whispered, her voice rising with every word, "every now knows not to make me angry!" (A.N. - "This time, imagine, if you will, Yukino Miyazawa chasing Tsubasa Shibahime in Kare Kano. Scary.")
"Is that so?" asked a calm, masculine voice behind her.
"Who the heck," Rosette began, her eyes furrowing. She turned around, only for her face to meet with Minister Remington's chest. "O-Oh, Minister Remington!" she gasped, her voice muffled.
"I'm glad you know my name," the priest said casually. "However, I am sure my chest also knows your face well enough, now."
Rosette blushed, back stepped and laughed nervously.
"Oh, well, you see," she stammered, "I didn't know you were behind me, that's all. I'm surprised to see you here."
"It shows." However, his voice contained no trace of irritation or sarcasm. "Sister Rosette," he asked suddenly, "why are three of your fellow sisters screaming atop our clock?"
"Well, they are... they are..." Rosette's brain racked for ideas. Suddenly, "They're praying out to our Lord!"
"While being tied to our clock?" Remington asked, suspicion evident in his voice.
"Well, of course," Rosette said, thinking fast. "I heard them say they wanted to be closer to God. I thought why not be physically closer, as well as spiritually closer? Hahahahaha... hahaha... ha." 'This is also payback for thinking I destroyed a whole island, you hags,' a malicious voice in her head muttered.
Remington eyed her strangely, and opened his mouth to reply. However, the priest was interrupted when the head nun, Sister Kate, rushed towards them. She looked extremely disgruntled as she approached Rosette and Remington. For some reason, the former didn't like the look her boss was giving her.
"There you are!" she gasped as she came to a stop before Rosette and Remington. "You have some explaining to do."
"Oh, well, you see," Rosette stammered, sweating slightly. 'Oh crap,' she thought desperately. 'She heard those blabbermouths screaming bloody murder. I really don't have time for another lecture about something that wasn't my fault.'
"I hope you have something to say," Sister Kate demanded, narrowing her eyes.
"It wasn't my fault, I swear!" Rosette blurted out suddenly. "They made me do it!"
"Do what?" Sister Kate enquired, pushing her glasses up slightly. "I was merely asking Minister Remington whatever possessed him to withdraw live ammunition from the storage silos and give them to the Elder." She turned to the priest. "You didn't think I would notice?"
"Oh, I knew you would," Remington replied. Sister Kate's left eye twitched behind her glasses. "However, he requested for some items to make a new invention. He told me he'd be able to present it to us very soon."
"The ammunition was missing since three days ago," Sister Kate said, her left eye twitching again. "I only just found out 15 minutes ago. Why would the Elder take this long?"
"Because, my dear Sister Kate, I need some time-off to do some sight seeing," an elderly voice said from nearby. "Oh ho! Perfect view! A perfect view!"
"Eeek! Get away from us, old man!" shrieked Anna from atop the clock.
"Elder! What do you think you're doing?" Sister Kate asked furiously.
"Just admiring the scenery," Elder explained, his eyes twinkling. "Ah, such a - OWW!"
"Your job is not to ogle at our sisters!" Sister Kate screeched, reeling back her arm to deliver another devastating blow. It was quite a shock for someone like her to exhibit physical violence, and many people were scared. "And how did Sisters Claire, Anna and Mary wind up tied to the clock anyhow?"
"Sister Kate, help us!" yelled Mary from atop the clock.
"Shh, shut up!" Rosette whispered hastily to the distressed sisters.
"Sister Rosette, what is the meaning of this?" Sister Kate demanded, turning her attentions to the guilty exorcist. "Did you tie these poor girls up to the clock?"
"They were asking for it!" Rosette retorted. "They laughed at my poor nose!"
"What's wrong with it?" Sister Kate asked curiously. "It looks fine to me."
"What?" Rosette pressed against her nose, and found it to be throbbing no more. "But... just a minute ago..." 'Damn that Chrono. First he bites me, then he makes people mock me, then he makes me sound like an idiot in front of everyone.'
"Sister Rosette!" the Elder cried, popping up right in front of her. "I have a surprise for you!"
"GAAAH!" Rosette cried, nearly falling over backwards. "Don't do that! And don't do that either!"
"Oh, but Sister Rosette, think of this as payment," the Elder replied, trying to lift up Rosette's habit. Lord knows why he isn't already being beaten to a pul -
BAM
"PERVERT!" Rosette shrieked, drowning out every sound in the courtyard. She unleashed total hell on the old man for his insolence.
'She's more dangerous than any demon,' Sister Kate and Minister Remington thought at the same time. 'I wonder who faces more danger, she or Chrono.'
"Don't," Rosette breathed, finally finished on beating up the master inventor of the Magdalene Order, "ever-touch-my-clothes-again!"
"Well then," Elder gasped, his body crumpled on the ground. "I'm not sure I should entrust you with my new invention for Chrono." He took out a cardboard box from his coat.
"Hmm?" Rosette's interest was attracted. "What new invention?"
"It's just something I made to help him protect himself against fellow demons. However..."
"I'll take it to him! Give it to me!" Rosette demanded suddenly.
"I don't think I can trust it in your hands," Elder said slowly. "It might get crushed while you're walking."
"I am not clumsy!" Rosette growled.
"No, but you're dangerous when you're angry. Maybe I'd best give it to someone not so ill-tempered," Elder explained, holding his box close to him.
"You will not!" Rosette shrieked, and she literally ripped the box out of the Elder's grip. "I will find Chrono and give this to him! Good day Elder, Minister Remington, Sister Kate."
Before anyone could object, she stomped away with the cardboard box under her arm. In tandem, the Elder and Sister Kate removed, polished, and then replaced their glasses onto their faces.
"Even if he is a demon, I feel sympathy for Chrono sometimes," Sister Kate said. "I wonder why he made the contract with her."
"It's something only they can share between each other," Elder said calmly. "What I do know is, I hope my poor baby will be safe in Rosette's possession."
Sister Kate sighed in exasperation, then looked around.
"Where is Minister Remington?" she asked.
"Oh, he told me he was going to find a ladder to help the girls out," Elder explained.
"I'm still astounded that Rosette was able to tie all up three of them and hang them on the clock like ornaments to begin with," Sister Kate commented incredulously.
"I'm getting cold!" sulked one of the unfortunate sisters atop the clock.
"This is no time to complain about a draft, Mary!"
"I hope we'll be the only ones subjected to Rosette's wrath."
"Yeah, me too," chorused the other two hostages.
Somewhere in a quiet area of the courtyard, a silver-haired girl was sitting by herself, admiring the trees. Her eyes were docile and calm, but contained an immense brightness and energy much like her idol and saviour. However, it was obvious by her appearance that the 12-year old girl possessed none of the fury and touchy temperament of Sister Rosette Christopher.
Instead, Azmaria Hendric, the Apostle, had a singing voice like an angel. It was no wonder, therefore, that she was a star of the Order's choir. However, at that moment her only audience were the flora around her. She didn't mind, though, she liked the peace and quiet.
Cue Chrono sprinting past, his eyes wide and wary and his now unruly hair flapping wildly and without its usual yellow ribbon. However, when Azmaria blinked, he seemed to be gone again. Figuring that she was just imagining things, the young girl returned to her private singing - only to see Chrono backtrack and stop before her. She watched him curiously as his nervous crimson eyes darted left and right before approaching her.
"Hey, Azmaria," he began, his voice low and almost hushed, "you haven't seen Rosette around here, have you?"
"Oh, no, I haven't," Azmaria replied, confused. "Why?"
"Oh, no reason," Chrono said quickly, before laughing awkwardly, in the Apostle's opinion. "Thanks, Azmaria."
"N-No problem," Azmaria stammered. However, her words drifted into the wind as Chrono dashed off again.
She watched him vanish, and then stood up. Her eyes shined with the maintained curiosity, but were now brightened with resolve.
'I wonder why he was asking about Rosette?' she mused. 'It seemed as if he was hiding from her for some reason. Maybe I can her about this, I'm sure she won't mind.'
Her mind made up, she left her quiet spot and wandered into the main area of the courtyard. She had no idea what state Rosette would be in when she found her.
"I wonder what's inside this box," Rosette thought out loud, as she carried said box under her arm. "Why would Elder make something for him, but not for me? It's not fair!"
Suddenly, an evil glint sparkled in her eye and her mouth curved into a malicious smile. She held the box out in front of her in all its brown, cardboard beauty. Whatever it was, she was going to find out then and there.
"I'm sure the Elder and Chrono won't mind if I take a peek," she said as she began to ease the lid open. However, before she could see through the opening she made, the lid snapped shut - on her hand. "OWWW!"
Rosette flailed in frustration as she attempted to release her hand from the box's evil grip. Once again she was a main attraction in the otherwise sedated Magdalene Order, as passers-by stared at the ironic sight. She could blow apart demons without a sweat, but when it came to a booby-trapped box, she was helpless.
Even so, she could still throw killer glares at those ignorant enough to stand around and watch. If looks could kill, there'd be at least four dead nuns right now. Unfortunately (for her), she didn't possess that ability, and instead had to be content with ripping her hand from the box's grip while mentally cursing anyone and everyone.
When she was free at last, she reeled around to deliver eight kinds of Rosette hell on those who persisted to stay. Well, she would have, if anyone had stayed. As soon as she was out of her predicament, it seemed, everyone had vanished from sight. Pfft, she only wanted to pound a few heads together, that's all. Is that too much to ask?
It was then that she noticed a note attached to the box. Frowning, she started to read it aloud.
"Rosette, I knew you'd try to open this box before giving it to Chrono. Therefore, I took the liberty of making sure it cannot be opened by anyone but him. I hope you understand. Oh, and be sure to bandage up your hand afterwards. Yours sincerely (and with eyes everywhere... heh heh), Elder."
Rosette stared at it for a few seconds, then started to fume. In less than 30 seconds, all the grass within a 5-mile radius had been scorched by her literally fiery rage.
"That damn Elder! I'll kill him!"
She stomped along the concrete path, until she found a (miraculously unscathed) yellow ribbon sitting under a tree (also miraculously unscathed). She gazed at it dumbly, trying to register where she'd seen it again. Gee, when you've braided the ribbon owner's hair for 4 years, you'd expect to know whom it belongs to, don't you? Once again, Rosette defied the laws of physics... or common sense... or something. Logic, that's it.
As a result, it took her a good few seconds (or minutes) until she remembered whose it was.
"Chrono was here!" she declared, as bodies around the Order face faulted. A memory lightbulb suddenly clicked on in her mind. "Oh yeah! I still have some personal business to attend to. Chrono, as long as my name is Rosette Christopher, you will pay for what you did to my poor nose!"
Her mind made up, she resumed her previous search for her contractee. However, she had something up her sleeve, which involved the phrase, "Killing two birds with one stone." Mind you, she could probably do that any day of the week.
So she did. Poor doves.
Chrono kept up his marathon running. Damn, how big was the Magdalene Order?...
Azmaria ran through the convent, desperate to find Rosette. She still had a lot of questions in her mind, and since Chrono was in too much of a rush to answer them, she'd have to turn to the other factor in the equation. However, from the reactions she got from the demon boy, she was unsure of whether or not she wanted to even ask. Rosette was definitely kind and caring, but she was scary, really scary.
Speaking of which, she encountered the huffing nun (for argument's sake, let's say Azmaria's not a nun yet) through the corridors of the convent. As Azmaria feared, Rosette was not in the best of moods. However, there was a manic sparkle in the blonde's eyes that made the silver-haired girl's curiosity too much to bear. Plus, the box tucked under Rosette's arm looked mighty suspicious.
"Rosette," she piped up, making the older girl stop in her tracks, "what are you doing?"
"I'm going to make Chrono's day literally a living hell," Rosette muttered, oblivious to what she was actually saying. "I'm going to find him and make him squeal like a pig. And with this as bait," she indicated the box under her arm, "I'll make sure he can't escape me."
"What... what did he do?" Azmaria asked timidly, not sure whether she actually really wanted to know.
"He mistook my nose for a meal, that's what!" Rosette hissed, bearing down on Azmaria. The younger girl cowered under the older girl's expression. She had never seen Rosette like that before, but was very sure that she didn't like it.
However, she didn't want to probe the blonde further.
"O-Okay," she said nervously. "I... I'm going to see Sister Kate."
She started when Rosette's face warped from manic to serene. The sudden alteration in the latter's expression mightn't have freaked out those used to it, but it certainly unnerved Azmaria.
"Okay then," Rosette said calmly. "I think I saw her walk into the tea room. She looked disgruntled about something, I don't know why."
Her eyebrows furrowed, but only briefly, before she stiffened. Suddenly, her psychotic expression returned, causing a belittled Azmaria to back step nervously.
"I smell Chrono! Ah hah, you're mine now, demon boy!"
In less than a blink, Rosette resumed her rampage towards a certain area of the courtyard. Azmaria stared after her, bewildered, before she noticed something bobbing in a pocket of the habit of the retreating blonde. She suddenly remembered her plans, and, slapping an enthusiastic expression on her face, she scampered into the building, towards the tearoom.
Chrono finally came to a stop on the outskirts of the convent. He was exhausted from running for so long, and he still had no idea whether Rosette was following him or not. He really didn't want to face her at that moment, for obvious reasons. He just had to hope that she would eventually forget.
His pointy ears perked up for the oddest reason - there was no sound at all where he was. Normally, you'd expect him to be glad for this, but this time it wasn't so. Why, you may ask? Well, if Chrono knew Rosette, then no matter where he was, she'd find a way to track him down. It had nothing to do with their contract, either. It was a part of Rosette's senses that was able to detect the demon boy without fail. It scared him sometimes.
With that in mind, he was dumbfounded that she hadn't stalked him to his current location, wherever it was. He perked up his ears more in a desperate attempt to listen for any movement, but strangely, there was none. His eyes furrowed at the failed attempt, and he slowly crept out from behind his bushes to look around.
He made contact with the emptiness of his surrounding area. The deafening silence hit him like a hammer (or one of Rosette's noogies), and he felt an uncomfortable shiver along his spine. It was unsettling, but thankfully, it wasn't Aion's aura. It was just... something he couldn't place...
Suddenly, his eyes detected a strange cardboard box lying right out in the open. It was brown and tacky, and completely conspicuous in its lush green surroundings. Its lid also seemed to be placed lopsidedly on top, as if jammed on hurriedly by someone in a rush. But why was it there? How did it get there? And how come Chrono hadn't seen it until just then?
However, some unavoidable force was driving him towards it. It was as if the box was calling out to him. 'Come to me, Chrono,' it seemed to be saying. 'Come to me. You know you want to.'
And, indeed he did. The doubtful part of his brain told him it might be a trap, but the childish aspect was egging him on. To the psychology nuts reading this, think of the id (childish part) overpowering the superego (doubtful part) to take control of the ego (Chrono's conscience).
In any case, Chrono proceeded cautiously to the box. However, at the same time, a face was peering out from behind some bushes, smiling maliciously. The bright blue eyes of the face were gleaming with delight as they watched the demon boy take the bait.
"That's it, Chrono," Rosette whispered, watching her contractee as he edged closer to the bait.
She had no luck opening the box herself, but she figured she could use it to lure Chrono into the open. Of course, it turned out to be successful so far. She just hoped his sensitive ears didn't detect her presence.
"Closer, Chrono, closer," Rosette egged him discreetly. "Soon, not only will I know what's in the box, but you'll also be facing your worst nightmare."
She waited impatiently as Chrono continued to inspect the box from every corner. Sometimes, she thought irritably, he can be a bit too cautious. Finally, though, he tentatively removed the lid to discover… another box. Rosette nearly face faulted, but she kept her composure to stare at the slightly smaller cuboid. It was bronze and sleek, much unlike the drab structure it had been contained in. From her perspective, Rosette could faintly make out words etched onto its cover. She watched as Chrono read the words, and became suspicious when a smile of delight discovered its way onto his formerly apprehensive face.
'Okay,' she thought, 'just what the heck did Elder for Chrono to be so happy?'
Her answer came instantly in the form of a strange-looking gun, uniform in shape to her own Colts, but of a totally different colour. Chrono's weapon was of a chrome violet, possibly to match his hair, and much shinier than her own guns. In short, it looked like Chrono was getting the goods, instead of her.
Her left eye twitching, she continued to watch as Chrono rotated his new toy in awe, his face brightening with glee. For a second, Rosette considered that her plans for revenge would be too cruel for poor, "sweet," "innocent" Chrono. The only thing he'd really done was biting her on the nose, assumingly sleep-walking. He would never have done that on purpose. Besides, he looked sorta... cute, with his eyes shining and his mouth wide in a childish grin. He reminded her of her, four years prior, when she and Joshua had first discovered the then-dormant demon. That memory stuck out like a sore thumb in her mind, of course it did. However, there was a sudden jolt in her stomach whenever she thought of it, seeing Chrono so despondent and critical in that grave. Why, she had no idea.
Her somewhat pleasant and complaisant thoughts were disrupted when Chrono unfolded a note contained in the box and read it aloud. What he was about to read, however, would shatter any hope of Rosette being lenient about her revenge.
"Chrono," the demon boy recited, "I've taken the liberty of developing this new gun for you. I call it the Holy Hellraiser. It's a great name, I know, but wait 'til you hear what it does. Before I developed this, I remembered once, while being beaten savagely by your partner (Rosette fumed in the bushes) that your hands had been bandaged. It took me a while to realise why, and a few days ago, that's when it hit me. It was holy water, right? ("Great guess, genius," grumbled Rosette.) Anyway, that got me thinking. What perfect weapon to use against a demon than holy water? It was a stroke of complete genius, and hopefully you'll find it very handy. Attached is a magazine full of holy water ammunition. Oh, by the way, don't let Rosette find out about this. Knowing her, she'll want one too. I shudder to think she might accidentally shoot in the wrong direction and scald you with the stuff, eh? Speaking of which, I think she's still looking for you. ("Damn right," the blonde muttered.) Yours sincerely, Elder."
Chrono read the last line again, and gulped nervously. Folding up the note and stuffing it inside his coat, he glanced around. Strangely, there seemed to be nothing in sight. He became greatly perplexed and worried, until his eyes rested once more on the gun in his hand His expression of anxiety quickly turned into appreciation as he gazed at the new exterminator of his fellow demons.
"These will come in really handy," he said admirably. "I wish Rosette could see them, even though I'm hiding from her. I reckon she'd be really grateful to the Elder, for once."
"Oh, Chrono," came a familiar singsong voice from where.
Immediately, the demon boy's body stiffened as if hit by a time freeze spell. In fact, he found his whole body completely unable to move. Well, except for his head, which tilted very gradually around to find the source of the voice. His crimson eyes soon became locked with the blue eyes of the destroyer of blocks, buildings and islands herself, Sister Rosette Christopher. Her expression appeared to be sweet-tempered and tolerant, but Chrono knew that under her bubbly exterior, she was really pissed. And he knew he was the cause.
"Oh, um, hello, Rosette," he said awkwardly. "Fancy seeing you here... ehehe..."
"So, you think I'm ungrateful?" his contractor asked, stepping out of the bushes. She walked towards him as he retreated. "What's wrong? I'm not going to hurt you."
"Yes, you are," Chrono mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?" Rosette came to a stop, smiling at Chrono in a way he didn't want to find out. "Aren't you pleased to see me?"
"Of... of course I am," Chrono stammered. "But, why do you have that look on your face?"
"What look?" Rosette blinked pseudo-innocently, tilting her head. "Do I look strange to you?"
"A little," Chrono mumbled, but remembered that Rosette could probably hear him. "No, no, you don't. So, what did you need me for?"
"Oh, just this." Rosette withdrew Chrono's ribbon from inside her habit. "I saw it on the grass a while ago. I was looking for you so that I could give it back."
'Is she for real?' Chrono thought exasperatedly. 'Is this a whole new side to Rosette I've never witnessed before? No, no, of course not. This is usually her face when she wants something.'
"Shall I braid your hair?" Rosette asked, out of the blue. Chrono stared at her bewilderedly, causing her to laugh. "Oh, come on, don't look at me like that. I said I'm not going to hurt you. I realise that what you did in this morning was an accident like you said. There'd be no way you'd bite me unless you wanted to die."
'Gee, she's so optimistic,' Chrono thought, again exasperatedly. "No, of course I wouldn't," he said aloud, so that he didn't make Rosette suspicious. "You know me well enough to know that, and I know you well enough to never try it without running the risk of severe injury."
"That's right!" Rosette said brightly. She suddenly took Chrono by the wrist. "Come on, I'm gonna braid your hair. It's been a while, anyway, and it's probably a wreck."
'Thanks for the vote of confidence,' Chrono thought exasperatedly for the third time in three minutes. However, he allowed the eerily urbane girl to lead him Lord knows where. He did enjoy the warmth she provided whenever they made contact, even if it was under the strangest of circumstances. 'Maybe, just maybe,' a hopeful thought ran through his mind, 'she'll let me off the hook today.'
Rosette dragged Chrono forcefully towards the Elder's house. However, as they approached it, the pleasant smile on her face was disturbingly replaced with a look of malice.
'I won't let him go without his due punishment,' she thought viciously. 'I've tricked him into thinking I'm forgiven him, but he's sadly mistaken if he thinks that's really the case. Ah, sometimes I wonder why God gave me these valuable powers of deception. I'm truly blessed.'
She transferred Chrono's ribbon from her other hand to her habit, somehow. However, before her hand left her nun clothing, it brushed something that made her grin evilly.
'Oh yes, my revenge will be as sweet as a complete arsenal of demon ass-kicking weapons,' she thought satisfactorily. 'Chrono, you'll rue the day you mistook my precious nose for a snack.'
Eventually, the contractor-demon team arrived at the Magdalene Order's inventor's quarters. When they reached the door, Chrono gave Rosette a fleeting glance of anxiety, which she returned with a toothy grin. Something fluttered uncomfortably in the demon boy's stomach when he looked at her, but it went ignored as he was led into the house.
Once inside, Rosette scampered to Chrono's bed. Upon reaching it, she bounced heavily onto it, causing it to sag dangerously. Chrono hoped it wouldn't collapse under her unruliness, since that would mean he might have to sleep in the courtyard. It was damn uncomfortable on that stiff bench, too. Not that he should be complaining - at least he was allowed to stay. He owed Rosette that much, at the very least.
Speaking of which, she'd finally ceased her horsing around, and was beckoning him to her. With a hefty sigh of resignation, he complied obediently, sitting with a thud in front of her like old times. Except, obviously there were no springs or trees, just bland, ugly walls. Sorry, Elder, but last time anyone checked, your decoration skills didn't quite match up to your inventing skills.
In any case, Rosette proceeded to straighten out Chrono's hair like she used to. It had been a while since she'd done this sort of thing, but it didn't take long to get back into the groove. The demon boy got comfortable as his contractor used a brush she found on the floor (for Lord knows what reason) to smooth out the knots and stray ends of his long, violet hair. He was completely convinced that he'd been saved from hot holy water, and began to settle back into the side of the bed.
His eyes drooped slightly, and after a few seconds, he fell asleep.
As Chrono drifted to sleep, Rosette felt the increased weight of his body as he leaned back into her. She stopped the braiding and shook him gently, but there was no response except for his quiet snores. He wasn't as heavy a sleeper as Rosette, but he wasn't a light sleeper either. This was perfect for the blonde, but she figured she'd better finish braiding the demon boy's hair first. She wasn't the type to start something then stop halfway through. Hell no.
With that in mind, she tied the yellow ribbon to the end of Chrono's hair. She slid backwards along the bed to admire her handiwork, and watched as Chrono's body fell back against the bed (he'd been leaning on her legs prior). He looked so sweet, so innocent the way he was. It was a drastic contrast with his true form: a vicious, full-fledged demon, capable of blowing apart anything and everything in site. It was strange how he could tear apart buildings and fellow demons one minute, and be a victim of Rosette's regular wrath the next. Chrono the Sinner one moment, Chrono the Frustration Pillow the next.
A soft sound of something landing on the bed awoke Rosette from her second dose of heavy musing for the day. She looked around for the source of her awakening, and found an object that caused her mouth to curve into a cunning smile. She gently took the object in her hand, so as not to wake Chrono, and then scooted back to her previous position, the same one when she was braiding his hair.
She took his newly braided hair in her hand and let it seep through her fingers. It was soft, tame almost, like him in a sense. She almost regretted the thought of going through what she was about to. Note the almost. She couldn't forget what he'd done to her, accident or not.
With that in mind, she let her hand wander along his long, constricted hair. It reached a point where she was certain her revenge would be most effective. Her mouth curved into a satisfied smirk as she held a clump of Chrono's hair gently in her hand. She snaked her other hand around on the bed until it clasped the object she'd been carrying all day. She brought the object out in front of her, and her eyes sparkled with a manic vengeance.
"Sorry, dear Chrono, but this is for your own good."
Chrono's eyes snapped open when he heard a sudden noise and felt sharp movement on his hair. He tilted forward in shock, causing a startled Rosette to fall into him and bang a foreign object into the back of his hand. He yelped in pain as his face hit the floor with appropriate force.
"Oww!" came his muffled cry. "What was that for?"
"Oh, you were drifting off," Rosette said, straightening up quickly. "I'm done now. See? Told ya you had nothing to worry about."
"That's a relief," came another muffled comment from the demon boy. "But did you have to hit me so hard? And what was it you whacked me with, anyway?"
"My hand, what else?" Rosette remarked matter-of-factly (or so she wanted Chrono to think). However, she scrambled her foreign object into a pocket of her habit, as well as something else. "Chrono, are you gonna kiss the floor all day?"
She received a confused grumble as her reply, but nonetheless, Chrono lifted himself off of the floor. As he scrambled to a sitting position by the bed, he cast a doubtful look at his contractor. She caught his gaze and returned it with a smile, which seemed to satisfy him. However, he couldn't shake off the feeling that she was hiding something. In the back of his mind, though, he wasn't sure he wanted to find out what it was.
Rosette seemed to read his uncertain thoughts, and slapped a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. She used a tad too much force, however, and almost knocked him back onto the floor. Fortunately, he was able to regain his balance, although if he could, he would've sworn that he felt a teeny bit lighter than usual.
"Hey, Chrono," Rosette began, breaking his thoughts, "have you ever been in Elder's lab by yourself?"
"Well, no," Chrono answered tentatively. He stared at the blonde girl suspiciously. "Why? What are you thinking?"
"Oh, nothing," Rosette said slowly. She turned her gaze to a wall for a few seconds, ostensibly admiring its... blandness. Suddenly, she glanced back at Chrono impishly. "So, you wanna?"
"Huh!"
"You wanna? No one's gonna know."
Chrono shook his head, desperate to escape as much trouble as possible. However, Rosette then proceeded to give him a puppy dog expression. (A.N. - "I am so remembering the first episode right now, when Rosette's trying to get Elder to give him the Gospel. At least he's not around this time.") He immediately shut his eyes and looked in a different direction. Wait, that didn't sound right. He tilted his head in another direction, that's it. Rosette wouldn't be denied getting her way, though. Not when it came to Chrono, hell no. So, she leaned closer, determined to break through his defences and make him cave in to her "charm".
For her efforts, however, she received an accidental head butt. Her close proximity had unsettled and embarrassed Chrono (one wonders why), so he had tried to swerve his head around to face her defiantly. It hadn't work, obviously, and the aforementioned heavy contact had almost knocked both of them unconscious. They regained their senses, fortunately, but only after their eyes swam for several moments.
Rosette was the first to recover, and she irritably whacked Chrono across the back of his head, causing his world to start spinning again.
"Don't do that, you nearly cracked my head open!" she scolded. She didn't even wait for a discombobulated reply before deciding that they'd be checking out Elder's lab behind his back anyway.
Chrono stared at her incredulously, but she was already striding briskly into the basement. Rather than leave her alone to destroy Elder's lab like so many other things and places before it, he scurried after her. Even so, he'd have to think a disaster was inevitable, even if he wasn't present.
How right he was.
Elder must have had a new mirror delivered to his lab. Lord knows where from, although that doesn't mean I do, either. All that matters is he has one, for some odd reason. And as soon as Rosette and Chrono descended into the basement, it was the first thing they so.
And as soon as Chrono looked at himself...
"Not to worry, girls, I'll get you down... eventually."
It had taken a while, but Remington finally found a ladder that was high enough to reach the clock and its hostages. He didn't know why the Order had one that tall, but then they probably didn't know either. Still, he decided to take the luck as it came. At least now, he could rescue the girls and stop people snickering as they walked past. He would have hoped that those people would be grateful they weren't stuck up there instead.
Of course, they probably wouldn't learn, anyway. Of course not. Where would Rosette's fun be in that? Oh, right, Chrono. Never mind.
Nonetheless, Anna, Claire and Mary still had to be rescued. Fellow sisters of the Order were one thing, but if visitors came by, there'd be literally be hell to pay.
"I'm... nearly... there," Remington grunted, climbing the ladder as fast as possible. 'I still can't believe Rosette got them up here by herself. What else is she capable of?'
"Thank goodness," Anna sighed. "Now, Mary won't have to deafen our ears with her screaming for help."
The blonde nun blushed and grew silent at her fellow sister's comment. However, as soon as she was silenced, a different scream rang through the courtyard. The sheer volume of it had enough force to rip through the rope binding the girls. As a result, they were finally free at last.
The laws of gravity took effect.
It was quite a comic sight, especially when in slow motion, or played back for kicks. The trio of sisters fell onto the surprised Remington, and their combined weight (not to mention shock) caused the ladder under them to collapse. As the ladder gave way, they fell painfully to the ground from Lord knows how high up. Unfortunately for the priest, he was the landing pad for the girls, and was consequently flattened.
Somewhere in the tangled mess of bodies, Mary's voice could be heard faintly.
"Oh dear, that sounded like Chrono. I wonder what happened to him, he sounded in pain."
"Rosette, that's what," came Anna's disgruntled reply. "Now, would you be so kind as to get your foot out of my ear!"
"Um, girls?" Remington asked tentatively. "I think you're crushing me to death."
However, the sisters' bickering only left him to suffer in ignorance.
During the same time period as Remington's haphazard rescue mission, Sister Kate and Azmaria were drinking tea in the tearoom and conversing. However, the head nun's lips were pursed tightly as Azmaria took up the majority of talking.
"I think what Rosette and Chrono have is wonderful," the silver-haired girl said animatedly. "They may get into trouble a lot, but if you look past their misfortunes (Sister Kate's brows raised in disbelief) I think they're very good in their work. And the bond they share with each other is lovely. I wish I had something like that."
"You want to have a bond with a demon?" Sister Kate asked, unable to keep silent any longer. Either that or let the young Apostle catch her breath.
Azmaria blushed and clutched her teacup tightly. "Well, not exactly. I mean, I'd want a bond with someone who would look out for me and protect me. He would be someone I could trust and could rely on. Besides," her eyes shined with pensiveness, "I don't think Rosette sees Chrono as a horrible demon. I don't know her as long as everyone else here do, but I don't think she's like that. If she really did think of Chrono like that, I'm not sure he'd still be here."
"I guess," Sister Kate sighed resignedly. She raised her cup to take another sip. "Although, I'd have to agree that he did intend to do us harm, she would've blown him to pieces by now."
Azmaria laughed nervously as Sister Kate sipped her tea calmly. Suddenly, an anguished scream caused the latter to drop her favourite cup in shock. Azmaria gasped and rushed out to get a cloth to clean up the mess. However, due to her haste, she didn't notice Sister Kate's expression seethe in fury, which only Rosette could challenge. In fact, her whole body was trembling in rage, and she screamed a name so loudly that Azmaria fell and crushed her own cup upon return.
"CHRONO!"
Yes, that day, it indeed sucked to be Chrono the Sinner.
THE END (or is it?)
Lord Cynic: "A half truth there. My friend also thought of a possible sequel to this. Ideas aren't ironed out yet, but we've got the basic plot. I think I got writer's block after writing this, though. Crud. Actually, I think I actually had some subtle romance in there too. Argh, can't get over my habits! BAKA!
Oh, and I apologise if there's OOCness in there. I'm sure there must be... but if you find any, please try not to be too critical. I mean every word that I typed."