See you on the other side
Chapter 1: The Right Question
Nukem: Author here! This may seem like a WEIRD idea for a crossover, but to me, it's a perfect match considering these two universes line of work. This is a mixture of Extreme Ghostbusters and Chrono Crusade. I have ALWAYS wanted to see more of XGB, whether it's a new series, a live movie or a fan fic but there's like NOTHING for any of those categories out there. So I decided to make a story about them myself. This is kind of a fish out of water, crossover, romance kinda story and it's one I've wanted to write for some time now but lacked the time and motivation to put to paper. I really tried my best to stay as accurate to all the characters as possible and instead of picking up where CC ended or doing one of those universe reboots where everyone is in high school or in the same universe automatically (can't STAND those!), I decided to do something kinda in the middle.
I felt these 2 couples I'm focusing on make for perfect foils for each other and allow them to see relationships from unique point of views. I'm sticking closely to the anime storyline as best I can; with some slight tweaks that you will see/understand in future chapters. I also want to give a big fat thank you to Janika for beat reading this chapter and helping me out in many ways through out the contents. Oh and by the way, there are references to an episode of Extreme Ghostbusters called "Ghost apocalyptic future". It helps if you saw the episode, but I will clue in enough details that people who don't know the show or have seen the episode can still follow along with everything. With all that said and done, enjoy the story and review/comment if you want to say what you liked/didn't like/would like to see in the future etc. I can't know if you guys don't tell me! Enjoy the fic ^_^
The sky teams with darkness.
An endless darkness bathes existence in a black, infinite blanket of stars, planets and cosmic mysteries screaming with enigmatic beauty beyond comparison. Amongst the darkness there fell droplets of frozen magic.
Snow…eternally beautiful snow.
It was the last night of the celebrated holiday of Christmas and the final falling flakes of winter had already begun transforming a once dark and colorless town into a wonderland of ivory. Colored lights, jingling bells and carols of long-treasured favorites bring merriment to even the dreariest of souls on the loneliest of nights.
Not so lonely was a particular pair of youthful exorcists, charming each other's company with warm smiles and twinkling gazes out at the majestic snow fallen across the buildings. The view of the balcony from Sister Kate Valentine's Order of Magdalene church left Rosette Christopher and demon sinner Chrono breathless at the beautiful landscape they had been so privileged and honored to witness. The two exorcists felt particularly proud of one another thanks largely to their choice in gifts, and the "gift" of Christmas to their young friend Azmaria Hendric. The party had ended a mere hour ago.
Chrono and Rosette were completely alone there. Chrono closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he then exhaled and reopened his eyes.
"Sometimes when I look out at the city, with all these lights and decorations and seeing all of this snow…it reminds me of the old days. It reminds of me of when we all met as children, well…heh…when you and your brother were kids."
"Where'd you get that from, Chrono?"
A brief pause left a moment of sweet silence between Chrono and Rosette. The young-looking devil boy looked at Rosette. Chrono turned his gaze towards the open snow-covered city, his blood red eyes gleaming with ghost-like shimmers of memories from what felt like an eternity.
"When I was with you and Joshua, I felt like everything was perfect, everything was peaceful," Chrono turned to look at Rosette.
"Everything was beautiful," Rosette blinked nervously and blushed an adorably sweet shade of red at this. "I remember thinking that our times together when you were young could last forever like an ageless, immortal place in time. I wish everything could have stayed the same."
"I know what you mean. I can't help thinking that if he was here, everything would be exactly the same. I really wish he could have been here enjoying Christmas with us tonight."
"Me too, Rosette. Me too."
She turned her head slightly to one side, considering. "But in a weird way it's kind of good that he isn't here right now."
"What do you mean, Rosette?"
"The only reason we're here—the only reason we're at the order with Sister Kate, Father Remington, Azmaria and the Elder—is because my brother is missing. We joined the order to find my brother and stop devils like Aion from doing the same thing to anyone else. If Joshua had never been taken, we never would have come here and met all these wonderful new friends."
"Does the same go for a certain red-headed German jewel witch we both know? I'm sure Zatella would have been surprised to hear that."
BONK!
Chrono groaned and rubbed his aching head, feeling a lump brewing amidst his purple locks and red headband. The devil boy cringed meekly at Rosette's snarling face, fearful she might bop him on the head again.
"Thou shalt not speak a word of this to that royal pain, GOT IT?"
Rosette raised her fist up with that signature crazy, mad woman look in her eyes. Chrono flinched nervously and nodded to avoid her bare-knuckled wrath.
"Ugh…got it…you know you didn't have to hit me that hard. I think I'm going have a third horn when I wake up tomorrow."
Rosette sighed and laughed softly, returning her cerulean eyes towards the endless wonderland of snow-laced serenity. The red suited devil looked to his female friend with ruby red eyes; each twinkling ripple in Chrono's stare shined with Rosette's reflection.
It's not fair Rosette…it's just not fair. Every Christmas that goes by without Joshua just tears you up inside a little bit more; I can see it…I've always been able to see it. I just wish I could be with you without shortening your life every time I have to transform. Maybe my REAL Christmas wish can become a reality, all I need is to borrow—
"WERE GONNA BRING YOUR BUTT BACK HERE JOSHUA, I PROMISE!"
Rosette's sudden declaration took Chrono off-guard; he gasped and stumbled backwards a bit. Rosette looked to her partner and smirked.
"What are you doing with your head in the clouds there, Chrono? The night is still young, Christmas time is still here and we got LOTS more partying to do."
"Um Rosette, don't you think it's getting kind of late to—"
The blond exorcist yanked Chrono by his arm before he could finish. Rosette was loudly cheering and pumping her fists in the air, heading back into the church and dragging her wet blanket of a partner close behind her boots.
"Applesauce! This Christmas bash is just getting started. We're gonna cut a rug, scarf down punch and spread enough holiday cheer until the New Year!"
"Rosette, we got so much work to do tomorrow to get ready for our trip."
"Less talking and more partying, devil boy."
Chrono gave in and simply sighed, a warm smile returning to his face as he watched his friend hoot and holler down every church hall. Rosette always had an infectious sense of excitement when she got like this; it was one of the many reasons Chrono loved being by her side.
Don't you worry, Rosette. Starting tonight, I'm going to do everything within my power to make sure that spirit of yours lives on to its fullest. I may have already given you your Christmas present, but with a little extra help I will be able to give you the greatest gift of all.
Later that night…
Rosette's snores were loud enough to shatter church bells. The blond girl lay on the floor, a wine bottle lazily clutched in one of her arms while the other lay sprawled out by her messy blond hair. Numerous party-goers surrounded Rosette on the floor while others had gone to bed instead of passing out on the floor like the blond exorcist had. Chrono tiptoed out of the room and headed towards the Elder's shed, a pair of documents clutched tightly in Chrono's fingers. The purple-haired devil entered the shed and found the elderly pervert snoozing on his workbench with a mug in one hand. Chrono groaned and rubbed his head upon seeing the Elder's state. The devil grabbed the man's shoulders and desperately shook him back to consciousness.
"Elder sir, please wake up. I have something really important to talk to you about."
The old man grumbled loudly from his workbench. The Elder's drunken eyes shielded by the red goggles he always wore and his white locks were in a mangled mess.
"Dammit boy, don't you know better than to wake you're sleeping elders? I was having such a SWEET dream, why did you have to wake me from it?"
"Sir, I'm actually older than you, remember?"
The old man paused for a moment and scratched his head, counting his fingers in a drunken stupor until finally shrugging in defeat. Chrono rolled his eyes and scratched his head.
The Elder's head tilted upon seeing what Chrono was holding. "So back to the matter at hand…"
Chrono handed the Elder the documents he was carrying. The old man examined them. They were blueprints and schematics of the time clock Rosette wore around her neck: the device that bound their lives to the contract.
"What exactly do you want me to do with this, Chrono?"
Chrono leaned in close. "I want you to please try and make a duplicate, only I want it to have the reverse effect. I want it to use the same energy to restore Rosette's lost time."
The Elder gawked at him. "That's impossible! You can't just recharge someone's life like refueling a gas tank. Besides, duplicating the shell wouldn't do you or Rosette any good."
Chrono's face sunk. "What do you mean?"
"I can't duplicate the same power source that connects your life energies together. Only the Sinners would know how this gadget really works."
"Then it's a total lost cause." Chrono turned his head to the side and closed his eyes tightly. The devil was heartbroken. This had been his only hope.
The old man tapped his chin thoughtfully. "However…"
Chrono quickly turned his eyes back to the Elder.
"However, there still might be a way I can help you and Rosette."
"Please tell me how. I'll do anything," he said, leaping at anything that could promise help for Rosette.
The Elder examined the blueprints closely and scratched his gray-bearded chin. "I can't promise anything…but…I think I can craft a sort of amplification device that will be attached to Rosette's clock and use astral line energy to attempt to replenish time energy within Rosette's body. Essentially, it would take in astral line energy and convert it back into a form of life force base energy."
"You mean use time itself to replenish Rosette's lost time?"
"Basically yes, but it's a long stretch and that's being extremely generous. Manipulating astral energy and mixing it with time energy could result in a cataclysmic explosion that could wipe you both out, taking countless lives along with you. Or worse, damage the very fabric of time itself."
Chrono shook his head and clenched his fists. "I don't care! If Rosette gets back the time that I've stolen from her then I'll do whatever it takes."
The Elder smiled and rubbed Chrono's purple hair in an almost fatherly way. The devil looked at the old man with a curious look of confusion while the Elder laughed and rolled up the documents.
"That's all I needed to hear. Our Lord works in mysterious ways, but who would have thought something as mysterious as a devil professing his love to a nun would happen?" The Elder gently placed his hand on Chrono's shoulder. "You may be a devil, Chrono, but your heart is as pure as Heaven's finest angels."
Chrono laughed nervously while his cheeks became rosy red with blushes. Though so many looked at the devil boy with fear, it was nice to know others saw him as a person rather than a monster.
"Thank you, Elder" Chrono shook the Elder's hand happily. "Just the fact you're trying means the world to me…and I know it will mean the world to Rosette."
"Just remember, Chrono, I cannot make any promises this will work. Constructing such a device may take a very long time; I might not be able to even craft it in time for you to use it. Are you prepared for that?"
Chrono nodded firmly. "I am, Elder. Rosette is worth it 100 percent."
The Elder smiled and headed for the bed in his workshop. The old inventor turned his head to Chrono and nodded to him. "Yes, she is."
Many years in the future…
The Ecto 1 came blaring through the front doors of the Ghostbusters' firehouse. Janine looked over the rims of her glasses, casually glancing from her paperwork to the newly-arrived busters.
"Well boys and girls, what's the catch of the day this time?" Janine asked, examining her nails.
Four teenagers exited the modified ghost hunting vehicle. First was Eduardo: the tallest buster on the team; a male of Hispanic descent, he had brown hair plus a goatee and wore a green shirt, brown gloves, blue pants and a pale orange vest. Next was Garrett: reddish brown hair, pale peach-colored uniform and sat in a wheelchair. After Garrett was Roland: African American, black hair, second-tallest on the team and sported a light gray uniform with rusty red gloves. Lastly was Kylie: the only female Ghostbuster; she had striking black painted eyelids, black lipstick painted lips, long black hair and a black one-piece suit that went down to her thighs. Kylie wore a bright orange armor chest piece that housed the ghost trap on her back; she removed the smoking device from her back with brown gloves.
"It was a class 6 pyro-kinetic free-floating apparition. Good thing we stopped it too. Can't imagine the damage this thing would have caused if we let it run wild."
Kylie's description caused visible irritation to Eduardo; he groaned and rolled his eyes. The Goth girl sneered and looked to Eduardo with equally frustrated groans.
"What? What is your problem now, Eduardo?"
"You always gotta keep kissing up like were still in class? Wouldn't it have been just as easy to say it was a big fire-breathing pumpkin-headed thing?"
Kylie approached Eduardo and pointed at his chest firmly. "It's called spiritual classification, EDUARDO. Sorry I can't use such scientific terms like 'big pumpkin-headed thing' as easily as you can."
Eduardo was about to say something rude back, but Kylie slammed the ghost trap into his chest. The teen grunted and clutched the trap in his gloved fingers.
"Now, do you think you can put that class 6 pyro-kinetic free-floating apparition into the containment unit without whining and moaning?"
"Fine, I will! At least Egon doesn't insult me when he rambles on with that loco science talk; you on the other hand can't decide whether you want to bore me to death or nag me to death."
Eduardo stormed down the stairs to the basement with the trap. Kylie stomped her orange boots on the ground, cupping her gloved hands around her mouth to shout after Eduardo.
"If you did drop dead then at least I'd have the pleasure of busting you and trapping you myself!"
"Don't flatter yourself, Elvira; you couldn't handle me dead OR alive."
Kylie screamed through clenched teeth; her gloved hands reaching up to grab something in the air until ultimately dropping to her sides. The Goth girl stormed off without another word being said. Garrett and Roland approached Janine's desk; both of them hung their heads and sighed heavily.
Janine leaned in close to the boys. "How long have those two been at it?"
Garret rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me? When they have NOT been at each other's throats today? That's the real question."
"I don't know what their problem is but it's getting worse and if this keeps up, it's going to start affecting the job," Roland said solemnly.
Janine sighed and watched as the boys headed off to pack the gear away and get something to eat. Even though she hadn't been focusing on Kylie and Eduardo particularly, Janine knew the boys were right; things between those two have been tense lately. Despite all the experiences those two had gone through, Kylie and Eduardo always acted as though they couldn't stand breathing the same air. Janine could tell something was up, more so than anyone else around here. Garret and Roland saw only the noise and nothing more, and Egon was so wrapped up in his work that he wouldn't know where to begin in dealing with the two teens.
Janine stood up from her desk and headed upstairs, her green heels clicking softly as she walked. Kylie was seen in the recreational room quietly reading. Janine looked at Kylie and shook her head. "Typical Kylie; whenever things go sour she dumps herself into a book."
The pale-skinned girl lifted her eyes from her book and turned her head to see the woman standing there. "Can I help you with something, Janine?"
"That's what I came up here to ask you, Hun. You seem stressed."
"I'm just fine. I'm just reading up on some of goat-face's family history."
Janine blinked at Kylie's "goat-face" remark; no doubt a nasty little nickname for Eduardo. The receptionist curiously peeked at the book. The title read Hell Lords and Sinners: Demons of the Damned.
The name made Janine groan slightly. And here she thought Eduardo was the juvenile one. Kylie returned to her reading and seemingly ignored Janine's presence. The book was suddenly snatched from her hands and snapped shut. The dark-haired girl sighed heavily and looked up knowing she was going to have to put up with a lecture.
"I know you two get along as well as cats and dogs, but lately you guys have been on each other cases like clockwork. Mind telling me what's up?"
"He's a lazy, big-mouthed jerk and I want to smack him over the head with every book in existence!"
Janine nodded. "You say that like this is your first time meeting him."
Kylie groaned and slumped her face onto the desk then she sat back up rubbing her nose tenderly. Janine laughed softly but quickly ceased laughing once the girl glared at her.
"If it wasn't for the fact he's a good Ghostbuster, I would be begging Egon to kick his sorry butt off the team."
"Come on, Kylie, you can't really mean that."
Kylie prepared to angrily respond with a resounding yes, but her pale cheeks drained of her rage and her voice calmed back to a softer tone. Her dark, spiky locks helped conceal just how truly flustered this situation was making her appear.
"No…no I don't, but I don't know how else to deal with him. He's just like my cat sometimes: he does whatever he wants, acts like a jackass and expects everyone to just go along with his obnoxious behavior without question." Kylie idly twirls her hair in her fingers. "Like he can just act stupid and we HAVE to deal with it."
"You kids are just different; the same kind of things happened from time to time with the original Ghostbusters. Besides, not that I'm picking sides here but I've noticed it's harder for Eduardo to connect to people," Janine tried to point out.
Kylie scoffed. "That's because he's Eduardo."
"Obviously something is working because you guys have been able to work together as a team and handle any call we've had." Janine put a finger to her chin, inquisitively. "So maybe the right question to ask is what specifically is not working that has you so fed up?"
"Everything!" Kylie angrily counted on her fingers. "He makes fun of my hair, he keeps making stupid Elvira jokes, he keeps telling me I should lay off the eye shadow and t-t-that'd I'd look less scrawny in another outfit." The Goth girl slammed her fists down and looked to Janine. "Do you know he actually said my perfume makes me smell like a skunk and I'd smell better if I tried some crap he found in a magazine sample flyer?"
Janine listened to Kylie considering every word. Suddenly, Janine's eyebrows shot up as she began contemplating the specific complaints Eduardo had about Kylie. Hair? Lay off make up? Outfit choices? Perfume recommendations? Janine sported a crafty little smirk on her face; one that made Kylie very confused.
"What's with that weird look? Did I say something funny?"
Janine leaned close to Kylie, teasingly replying. "You know…all of those things you mentioned seem to have a common theme. I was looking in this magazine the other day and they say, sometimes, when a guy complains about certain things like that it—"
Kylie pointed to Janine. "Finish that sentence and I SWEAR…I will burn this firehouse to the ground."
Kylie jerked out of her chair and stormed off; looking a thousand times more pissed off and enraged than she was before. Janine made a 'my lips are sealed' motion with her fingers and closed her eyes until Kylie left the room. Though not the receptionist's intention to make the girl even angrier, she felt teasing was an amusing distraction for both of them.
"At least she's not hiding herself in books this time," Janine murmured to herself as she headed back downstairs to her receptionist desk.
Kylie was standing in the bathroom, her back leaning against the door. The girl let her legs slowly collapse; she slumped against the door and sighed.
"What is it? What's freaking me out? What's the real question that is making me feel this way?"
Kylie unfolded some sheets of paper from her pocket. The sheets were tattered, old, frayed and had scorched marks all around the edges. The papers were from an old diary that came from the future version of Kylie Griffin…the same future where she died in a war led by the time traveling ghost, Tempest. After the ghost was defeated, Kylie destroyed the diary written by her future self and swore she would never learn the details of her death or anything else about the future.
Kylie sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "Or maybe it's not the question that scares me when I look at these pages, but rather, it's the answer that's making me feel so angry and confused." The Ghostbuster opened her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Kylie secretly saved a few pages from the diary's charred remains; she hid this from her team's knowledge. Despite her claims that she didn't want to know about her future, Kylie was unable to deny her curiosity. The girl forced herself to look at the pages with nervous, uneasy eyes. Her hands would shake and tears would form sometimes upon reading certain events.
"There's so much in these pages I don't understand; so much that doesn't make sense or relates to some other missing pages. But even with the missing pages, even with the burn marks on some of these…there are some things…I can clearly make out. I don't want this future to be true; I don't want to think about this…this… IT'S NOT RIGHT! This CAN'T be true! Even if there was a war, I can't believe I would do anything like this. This is just a bunch of garbage, it doesn't mean anything. It's a stupid alternate reality that doesn't exist anymore."
The pale Goth girl held the pages with trembling hands; she crumpled them into a ball and angrily tossed it at the garbage can. The paper ball missed its mark and bounced across the floor. Kylie sniffled and buried her hands into her arms across her knees, the paper ball slowly uncurled on the bathroom floor.
"They can never know…they can never know about this."
To be continued…