Once Upon Insanity – The first chronicle
Disclaimer: I don't own Chrno Crusade…
A/N: This fic is dedicated to the last bit of my sanity which had been sacrificed at the stake for the sake of this tale!
He really didn't like the look on Aion's face. Uh uh. Not at all.
Aion smirked, looking as though Christmas had come early, a glimmer of triumph flashing in his violet eyes.
No…it can't be…no way…wait… Wait… WAI - !
"Game. I win," declared his brother, slamming down his winning cards on the floor.
Blowing his long amethyst bangs out of his face, irritated, Chrno slumped, sighing inwardly to himself.
Aion had beat him. Again. For the billionth time. EVER.
He groaned.
Grudgingly, Chrno raised his head, only to see his oh-so-great elder brother doing a victory jig around the room. Poor Chrno had to fight the distinct urge to run when Aion grinned, a grin which was only stopped by his tufted ears, at him, and said in honeyed tones, "You DO remember what you promised me, right? Do you? Doooo you?"
His thinning patience snapped.
"All right, alright!" cried Chrno, throwing up his arms in defeat, flinging his cards all over the place. " A dare's watcha want, a dare's what ya got! What d'you want me to do already?!"
Aion grinned ( if possible) even more widely, and beckoned his younger brother to lean in closer.
And Chrno's eyes widened into ruby saucers ( not UFO ones) in horror upon assimilating what Aion had just whispered in his ear.
A few moments later, a figure burst out of the room, running as though her life depended on it, Aion hot on her heels. Azmaria, with her arms laden with laundry, blinked as the lady dashed past her, caught off guard by the girl's beauty.
Oh, she certainly is pretty. Those silky violet locks rustling as she ran, those entrancing crimson eyes widened slightly in fear… Not to mention the beautiful gown she donned – it looked absolutely gorgeous on her.
Wait, Azmaria thought, frowning as the lady seemed more and more familiar to her. Just who…?
She let out a little gasp of recognition.
"Chrno-sama?!"
Chrno paused and peered over his shoulder upon hearing his name. When he saw Azmaria, his face displayed that of intense relief before his features began to screw up…
And before she knew it, Chrno, in all of his prince's glory, sunk to the floor clutching the hem of the velvety gown he wore, and started crying – Big, fat, droplets of crystalline tears spilling down his front.
"Sorry," grinned Aion sheepishly when he caught sight of the look on Azmaria's face. "Couldn't resist."
"My dear man," exclaimed the king, surprise flickering in his brilliant sapphire orbs. "What brings you here?"
The duke of Duke called Duke (O.olll) gave one of his usual cold, empty smiles to his old acquaintance.
"Well," Duffau said, making himself comfortable in an armchair, " since you're so direct, I shall not beat about the bush as well."
Then, for a moment, he tilted his head back, eyes closed, an expression of utter bliss spreading across his face as he savored the vision of utmost perfection he had just seen.
Whether it was all play-acting or not, the effect was good.
"I'm here…to ask for your daughter's hand of marriage."
"…hah?" the ruler cocked his head questioningly to one side. "I don't HAVE a daughter…"
The duke's gaze instantly narrowed into a glare, and he pushed himself forward, glaring deep into the king's cerulean eyes as though trying to strike fear into his 'friend's' heart. "You dare lie to me?! I just saw her along the corridors!"
However, the king, being oh so dense and ignorant as he always was, was completely oblivious to the imminent death threat and continued to protest, "But I really don't HAVE a daughter – "
"Is this a 'no' then, Remington?" questioned the Duke, his voice becoming dangerously soft all of a sudden.
"For the last time," Remington cried out earnestly. "I don't have a daughter!"
Before he finished, however, the man had already whisked out of the room, his cloak swishing angrily in his wake.
"…" the king looked at the servant standing beside him, his face completely wiped blank like a piece of white paper, and the servant stared back, equally emotionless.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"… I have a daughter?"
"…No sir, I believe you do not," murmured Fiore as she gave a polite bow.
"Oh…okay…"
"Stupid Aion… I hate him," sniffled Chrno, hiccupping slightly as he trudged along the huge palace garden, feeling the grass brush against his legs. The princess gown was still trailing behind him, attracting many stares from the palace maids and servants.
They must think I'm crazy or something, thought the boy, instantly feeling his face burn up. This is so humiliating…still, I DID promise Aion –
His thoughts were cut off rudely as a ripened fruit fell from a tree, inches away from his nose…
And exploded in a puff of thick smoke.
Caught by surprise, Chrno failed to escape and was engulfed by the white fog. Choking, he swiped uselessly at it, in a vain attempt to clear the air.
Out of the blue, as though they leapt out of the broken shell of the fruit itself, four…erm… NINJAS… appeared out of nowhere. They certainly weren't professionals, instead, they were simply amateurs on the job, given the way they stupidly mistook 'wire gauzes' for 'nettings', and the way they gave a hearty yell of "NINJA ATTACK!", before hauling Chrno over their shoulders and took off like ants would with a lump of sugar.
Poor Chrno never knew what hit him.
A/N: I got this lame idea when I had a stroke of inspiration for a doodle…Chrno being in a dress and Rosette being in armour… Yeah…that's how the fic came out…Urgh…