AN: I've finally gotten this in. Dx Lots going on right now, and I'm not going to give a lot of excuses except for a sorry it took my so long to get this down. I'll try and update soon, but my summer is more packed than I thought it would be. Anyway, enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own Chrono Crusade, but I sure do own these words in this fan fiction.
--
The devil's crimson eyes wondered quite helplessly around his confined space
The devil's crimson eyes wondered quite helplessly around his confined space. He still felt the burning shiver that slowly screeched down his back. His cheeks, arms, and abdominal area, as well, felt tampered with. Chrono was a little surprised that it didn't hurt him. He came to the conclusion that the feeling wasn't going to disappear anytime soon. Chrono stood up rather awkwardly, back bent at a jittering angle. The light belonging to the indicator bound onto his wrist flashed between orange and green. He hadn't moved, still as a statue. He waited for another hot, cold, or funny sensation. He didn't seem to come. He took a step forward, laying his foot down sloppily as if he had never walked before. It was freezing in the room, yet he caught himself sweating.
By now, Rosette Christopher was sent into a fit of chuckles.
Clueless.
He was indeed totally clueless. She didn't blame him. Well, she didn't blame him much. She'd be pretty confused right now if she'd heard footsteps, the wall caving in, and so on. A permanent smirk lit her features. This wasn't so bad, after all. Staying, she meant. Even though she hadn't found a purpose for returning to earth as an invisible watcher after her own death, she was slowly finding ways to make use of it. She was thriving towards the direction of hoping to get noticed. That seemed all likely, now. Her sense of touch was guiding her now.
She felt like an idle weapon. It was shockingly pleasing.
She'd punched him in the gut.
Surely, she could have thought of better places to punch him. She had to bite her finger to stop herself from imaging any other possible pains or aches she could inflict on Chrono. At that moment, what would anyone else have done? She was getting ignored, and that was the only thing she would have done to wake him up. A prod would have been nice, too, but she had been angry. Rosette hadn't intended the blows would hit him, on some other hand.
And here she was, toying with the devil. More like experimenting. She'd need this type of study to see her limitations if she was to truly make herself noticed. It was either that, or she was just having a good time.
So far, she discovered that her touch passed right through him. Yet, it left some sort of trail of reactions. It was like she was inserting some type of poison through her touches that made the devil flinch, shiver, yelp, and even moan in frustration. It was different each time she'd touched him, but she'd have to say a series of awkward noises was her favorite.
Surely, he'd gotten the hint that something had been rubbing his fur the wrong way. His indicator was going haywire. It didn't touch red this time, though. That was a start.
She'd been messing with him so much, he was starting to sweat. She had to feel kind of guilty at the same time. She was confusing the pants off of the poor guy. At this rate, she'd probably give him a headache.
Chrono's cold spots soon heated up to the equivalent of his body temperature, which he was almost convinced was about a hundred degrees fahrenheit. Unexpectedly, his entire body went back onto the track of his normal flow. His sweat soon disappeared as fast as it had come.
Many unanswered questions fuzzed in his head as he sat back down onto his bed. He was still a bit uneasy, ready for another suddenly cold spot to rain upon him. He couldn't get at what the hell had been going on. And, quite frankly, he wouldn't be able to ask anyone. He could have asked Elder, but he wasn't ready to be laughed at just yet. If he got desperate enough, then just maybe he'd consider talking with the old man. Chrono would have to sooner or later. His indicator's light was now a very dim green. It seemed like it was running out of fuel, or whatever was powering it.
He quivered a sigh as he set his head down onto his single pillow. He didn't feel in the mood for sleeping at all, but his body was begging for it. He forced his eyes shut, rubbing his temples. Chrono's eyes shot open every once and a while to inspect his room. They only closed again, getting more and more heavy as he continued repeating the process. Each time his eyelids drooped, he could have sworn he had spotted a certain blond watching over him with an amused smile.
"This isn't funny, Rosette." Chrono muttered.
His fingers stopped messaging his temples and his breathing slowed.
Rosette stifled a sigh, also. For a brief moment, she'd forgetting she wasn't very existent. Any person would have been thrown off if someone talked to you if you weren't really there. Unfortunately, she hadn't given much thought to the devil's words. Rosette ignored them.
She moved the by standing chair over to the side of her sleeping contractor's bed. Closer, that is.
She plainly spectated his even breathing. She grabbed a hold of both his wrists and set them down side-by-side with his body. She tore her hand back as she realized what she had just done. She prodded Chrono's side with a finger. His body barely budged, but her fingers met solid material. He turned a bit, scratching his side where Rosette had poked him. A quite cheer flooded from her.
Despite her discovery of touch, she didn't know much else she could do. He was asleep, and that wouldn't be any fun. Her chair creaked as she edged forward. She crossed her arms and placed them on the bed below her. They supported her shoulders and her head from toppling over.
Involuntarily, she brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead. He wasn't conscious of it. The other time she'd been able to make contact with him was while he was napping. Needless to say, she didn't feel very joyful about it. It made her happy she didn't pass through him, but what was the use if the people she touched could only be asleep?
--
The Sinner stood before his former ally, his eyes slit with fury. His teeth were grit together as he forced himself to choke back his desired actions to slice him open.
"Hey, Chrono! Surprised, aren't you?" Aion said with his hand out. He gave Chrono a friendly wave.
"You're supposed to be dead." He retorted bitterly.
The white haired devil shrugged.
"I've been lucky." Aion stated simply. "How's Rosette?"
Chrono wasn't happy about Aion's change of subject. His lids twitched. He clenched his hands, nails scoring out blood from his palm.
"She's dead because of you."
Aion ran a finger down his chin. The devil looked thoughtful. His smile proved he wasn't a statue because he was still for a few minutes.
"I guess that's your fault, isn't it?"
Chrono flinched at his accusation.
"You did, after all, let me take your horns." Aion removed his glasses, fiddling with them between his claws. His own purplish-hued eyes slit. "Had you not affiliated with Rosette and Joshua, or rather, had they not found you, Rosette wouldn't have had to make the contract with you." The devil spat matter-of-factly.
"Don't forget you're the one who trampled in. There wouldn't be a contract if her brother was never in need of one. We were only trying to help him, and kill you."
A chuckled echoed throughout the cavern both were standing in.
"I guess you're right about that." He ran a claw over the frame of the glasses, slipping to the glass itself. It left a thin scratch across the single lens as he moved on to the other.
"You just had to hurt yourself more by falling in love again. With another human, too." He shook his head. "You're really pathetic. I'd thought you'd learn the first time. Nonetheless, that's not what I'm here for." He jumped from the ledge he was sitting at, dust particles flying in the air. He paced forward, still fascinating himself with his own glasses.
"Since she's out of the way, what about that offer on the horns? You took them from Joshua yourself, so I didn't think it would be very fair if I gave them to someone else."
For the first time in a while, he gave real thought to what he was offering. It seemed tempting to accept, but he had to think about everything he'd be leaving behind.
Then it came across him; this was only a dream.
It seemed so real, too. Now, he had nothing to lose. But if Aion was still out there, which he doubted, he'd have some reason to actually think about the offer because his obvious answer would have been a turn down. But now, he was powerless. He wasn't about to get another contractor, for he couldn't take another human's life span. He couldn't imagine doing so. But he couldn't imagine taking back his horns.
He shook his head. It was just a dream. He gave no other word to him.
"It's still an offer, Chrono. I'll give you time because I'm a good guy like that."
And like that, Aion was gone.
--
Chrono flinched awake. Rosette had lain onto the side of the bed, at least trying to sleep. It hadn't worked, though. She opened one icy blue eye, sighing as he ran his fingers through his hair, seemingly irritated by the sound of his muffled groan. Rosette straightened up as he prepared to roll off the bed. He turned once, now dangling off the side of the mattress. His eyes were still glued shut with sleep.
He put one foot out, letting all his weight onto it. One of his under shirt spares was neatly spread out onto the wooden planks. When he laid his foot on it, it had slid across the waxed surface of the floor. He flailed out helplessly as his head went straight into the chair, making an interesting thonk before he rolled off of that and hit the floor with a thud.
Rosette stood wide-eyed. She wanted to bowl over and laugh, but her slight guilt choked it back. She had to admit, seeing Chrono do something like that wasn't in character for him at all.
"Wh...when did that chair get there?" Chrono inquired groggily. He stood motionless for a long while, moaning while rubbing his head. He kicked out his leg, sending the chair back flying. It toppled over and scratched the flooring.
"Stupid piece of useless wood." Her former contractor had muttered. He grabbed onto the side of the bed and pulled himself to his standing height once again. Chrono brought up a hand to rub his eyes, swiping them across his face rather harshly.
Rosette sighed hopelessly. She tapped lightly on her chin, tilting her head to an observative angle. Now, if floating light bulbs that light up and appear over people's heads when they had an idea really existed, this would be a moment where a light bulb would appear over Rosette's head, beaming strongly.
While Chrono was busy with the task of getting ready for whatever he had in his day plan, Rosette focused her time being on lifting the chair back up. It didn't take much, and of course, back up onto those four pillars it came. She tried to make it as quiet as possible, and she'd done a pretty good job at that.
When Chrono stepped back into the room from the small bathroom attached to the guest's room, he found himself staring at a mahogany trimmed chair. His brows raised in curiosity. His crimson gaze slit as he peered across the room, both to his left and right. The devil struggled a sigh.
"I'm tired of being your entertainment." Chrono muttered in a dragged-out tone. "Just show yourself."
Rosette threw her palms to her face in frustration. She raked them down, burning holes into her contractor with her slightly revealed cyan eyes.
"Great applesauce, Chrono!" Rosette pushed through gritted teeth.
Chrono wiped a hand over the chair's smooth surface. He sensed no other presence or bundle of Astral Energy. But, things didn't move on their own like this. Something was definitely here, and he had a small idea of how he can pick it out.
--
"You said you can track auras, right?" Chrono inquired.
"Not quite track, but more like pinpoint and extract during certain reactions."
The Elder played with a few nuts and bolts belonging to Chrono's wrist attachment. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it, aside from the slight overwork it might have been receiving. He twisted the chip belonging inside of it between his fingers. To make a machine measure aura mixes, it must have taken a big toll out of its small system. Had the attachment been a bit bigger, risk of it malfunctioning like that might have been slimmer and less often.
While Elder was observing the attachment, Chrono was well at war with himself. Whether or not to tell Elder what had been going on within his room, as well as the day of that nap scratched at him like crazy. That would give him a small explanation as to why it might have been smoked out. He doubted anything bad would come of it. If he told him about moving chairs and those sudden cold rushes he's been receiving, more than likely he wouldn't laugh at him. It wasn't all that surprising to find out something was haunting a devil. Nothing good ever came of devils, so he was likely to believe his stories about this phenomenon of an event.
He wondered how to even start explaining what's been going on lately.
"Elder?" His voice was thick with an intent seriousness. It made the old man turn in surprise. "I have a small idea explaining how the indicator's been acting.
"Last night, while I was laying down to sleep, the wall in front of me just went off like something hit it, yet nothing had done such a thing." He let hid head rest on his palm as he leaned against a nearby table, doing all he can to prevent another headache looking back to last night. "I started to feel these cold sensations and uncomfortable jabs all over." He delicately dragged his hand across one of his arms.
"My indicator's light went from green to orange a few times, and that's when it started to act up. I started to get the idea that someone else was in my room, but I couldn't see them."
He shook his head as if he couldn't even believe his own words.
"Then, just this morning, I got out of bed and slid on something I hadn't placed on the floor, and hit my head onto a chair which I also hadn't placed there the night before. I kicked it out and got dressed. When I looked back at it, it was sitting in the upright position again."
Amazingly enough, Elder took high conscience of his words. He listened so intently, you'd think his head would pop.
"There's only one thing we can do to solve this." Elder immediately turned, tweaking the attachment even more. "Now, if we update the aura mix pinpointing system, we can get weaker levels of auras. Those cold sensations are signs your body is reacting to an aura, so we need to make it to the point where your body can absorb the aura and get used to the system so that doesn't happen. Whatever is following you, which is most likely human since invisible devil's auras would be much much stronger, we'll be able to extract the aura and track it."
Elder spoke matter-of-factly, which made Chrono a bit sick.
"So, you're saying if that thing touches me, I'll be able to see it because I've absorbed it?" The devil had inquired faintly, almost not wanting to see what was haunting him.
"I dunno. I guess you can say that when you absorb an aura, it'd only make sense as if its apart of your body to see it. That's what logical science says."
Logical science? This was a whole different level of science, almost a somewhat phenomenal science. Unreal material.
Chrono shuffled his shoulders, ridding his mind of his possible stalker as well as any type of science. He'd let Elder do the thinking. He had other things to think about. Things he wouldn't be able to think about here.
"When you're done with that, let me know. I'll be out in the courtyard, no where else."
"Remember to keep your distance, Chrono. If Sister Kate saw you out there without this attachment playing tag with all the little nuns, she'll rip her face off then yours."
Chrono couldn't find the humor in that, but he guessed it was intended to be a joke. He didn't see it like that. He forced a smile anyway, promising the Elder to stay out of trouble. He also didn't want to reach into details as if why he'd be playing tag with nuns. Elder's mind never seemed to amaze him, especially with those thoughts of his. Nothing really seemed to amaze him anymore. It was all about his stalker, and even that wasn't too exciting.
He was being controlled here, and he didn't like it. He didn't technically belong to the order anymore because Rosette kept him tied in. He was just a partner, never anything close to what Rosette was. He was just back up. He wasn't given the missions or told to write any apologizes. He didn't have to face Sister Kate and he didn't have to be punished along with Rosette for their mistakes. He helped because he felt he need to, and because he wanted to feel like he was apart of the Magdalene Order. Now it felt like he had no relation to the place. There was nothing much left here for him.
Rosette patiently paced behind her contractor, unable to stand walking next to him because of his extremely sour aura. He made continuous circles in the court yard, and not the kind that got you dizzy, but the really long ones. He was so stuck in thought, she could throw something at him and he wouldn't change his mind set. If only Elder could work just a bit faster. This new idea about absorbing her aura, or whatever they were talking about (she'd zoned out, it practically had been that boring), she couldn't wait for it all to just set into motion already. She was a pin prick disappointed at the fact that she wouldn't be able to "haunt" Chrono anymore after he saw her, but she was also scared to see what would happen at the same time.
Would he reject the being that's there?
She couldn't possibly imagine Chrono not being happy to see her. But like this, it just might be a little too much for him to bear. Then again, he can be completely happy with that fact that she had been there. She couldn't find it as a good thing because no one else would be able to see her. Only Chrono, for those matters that Elder had explained she managed to catch bits of, would be able to see her. If Chrono decides to mention and confirm that he could see her to someone else of the Magdalene Order, they would probably take it as some dirty joke. Rosette knew Chrono would never be that type of person, but other people didn't always see the world as you did. That was another thing that was so unfair about the world. You just had to ask yourself questions like, "Why can't people see things the way I see it?"
She always wondered why people chose to be so ignorant to such important facts. It almost reminded her of those horror films where no one believes you about the zombies, or whatever. She just couldn't understand how people could just reject what you say because it sounds blasphemistic and outrageous. It made her want to rip her hair from her head and scream at the top of her lungs in frustration, all to just let it out. Well, they'd sure have some surprise if they didn't believe Chrono. Rosette would make sheer hell of it. She couldn't wait for the denials, now that she thought a bit more and played it over in her head. That would be the best part. No, no, her haunting wasn't coming to an end. That was just for Chrono. For everyone else, she was just opening a new can of treasures.
The girl hadn't noticed the time fly by. Thirty minutes snuck right down her collar and out. That was pretty much all the time Elder needed to finish up his contraption, which he insisted on dubbing it a "toy." She couldn't put a finger on to as why he could be so playful. Maybe he was trying to hide whatever was under that grin of his. She had to scoff to herself about how it did make her feel a bit brighter that everyone wasn't crying over her absence, or at least trying not to make it seem like it. That was the last thing she wanted.
"So, Chrono, I went ahead and modified the censor chip to pick up weaker auras with significance." He clamped the thing onto his wrist so fast, the click was barely audible.
The devil helplessly stood there as the Elder, out of habit, fiddled with it a slight bit more. After what seemed like an hour, he tugged it away, annoyance trailing his features.
He twisted his wrist with deep interest. The attachment didn't seem much different. Its light was orange at the moment. His brows furrowed slightly in disappointment. It didn't seem too special at all.
"Are you sure this—"
"WHAT!? Chrono, since when have I ever failed you?" Elder interrupted, taken aback. It was funny how he already knew what he was going to say. "Think really, really hard and try to remember the last time something I've made for you hasn't completed its correct function." He quizzically raked at Chrono with his goggle-covered eyes.
"I… was just asking. But, I can't recall anything right now." The devil countered almost too plainly. He wanted to try this out already. He'd need to get to a place where he can talk to it without being interrupted or asked weird questions. "I'm going to head back to my room. That's where everything's been occurring."
Before the Elder can shoot questions at Chrono, he sped over the corner and down the hall towards his guest room. He nearly ran straight into the door, his fingers slipping over the knob as he tried to twist it to release the hinges. He stopped himself just inches from the smooth wood, glancing to his left and right for nearby watchers. Since there were no watchers, he didn't feel the need to be embarrassed. Chrono reached for the door once again, calmly slipping it open and tumbling inside.
For just a moment, he expected a cold sensation, but nothing came to him. He emptily leaned against the door, scarlet orbs scanning for anything unusual. Nothing had been moved out of place since he last left the room. With a shuffle of his shoulders, he relaxed. He didn't let his guard slip, though.
Rosette watched Chrono with pure amusement. Wasn't he going to be shocked? She thought briefly of how she should take this about. Should she make him wait? Ah, she couldn't do that right now. She was too excited herself to make him wait, let alone herself. She couldn't just show herself. That was way too boring. She wasn't even positive if it would work, and she might have wanted to experiment, but if it did work, that'd blow it. Her mind forced her to start forming a plan so diabolical, it should have been illegal.
Chrono slowly paced the room, aware yet jumpy at the same time. This was the part where Rosette had to wait. And didn't she hate waiting? It was all apart of her plan, though. Her perfect, scheming, wonderful plan. She made herself comfortable on the floor, afraid that Chrono might sit down in the chair while she was sitting in it.
He was worn, now. Chrono tapped on his attachment, starting to doubt it was going to work. Sure, Elder never let them down, but he couldn't feel very positive about this one. Rosette was usually the one to test Elder's things out, and he wasn't positive of how to cope with this one. With a dragged-out sigh, he sat onto his bed, eventually leaning back to stare up at the ceiling.
Soon, lunch had slipped by. Chrono had forgotten to attend it. Anyone would have if they were napping. He was fully lying on the bed for additional comfort. Rosette couldn't help but to thing this was his biggest mistake yet.
"Comfortable, Chrono?" She evilly fumed between gritted teeth. She slid over to his bed side, laughing menacingly. She readied her heads, bending down a bit to get the job done.
"I like to call this… DEVIL TIPPING!"
With all of her might, Chrono flew out of the bed at her strong push. He rolled several times before colliding against the wall, face to the hard wood floor. He groaned in pain, almost sobbing. The only thing lighting his dark corner was his wrist attachment's flickering green to orange light.
"Why…" he murmured. He slowly aroused, wall supporting his way up. With a quick glance across the room, he couldn't see anyone there. He rubbed his eyes again. They definitely weren't failing him. Nothing there. Nothing expect for the small ring of a very amused chuckle. For a minute, he thought he recognized the chuckle, but pushed it away with haste.
"Someone there?" Was his reaction, rather helplessly. The chuckle drizzled into an all-out laugh. There was a struggle for breath. He couldn't mistake this one.
He stumbled around the bed, time slowing just a moment for him. She was very faded, but he could indeed see her. Such disbelief clawed at his side.
He was speechless for a few minutes. By then, Rosette was able to stop laughing and sit up properly. She was hiding behind the bed rolling on the floor laughing. She slowly stood up, peering at him awkwardly.
It took Chrono a bit longer to let this sink in, but even then he still thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He noticed she was wearing the outfit she had been the last time he saw her—white button-up shirt with a collar, sleeves going up to her wrists, and a long, brown skirt. She shuffled a big where she was standing.
"Gosh, Chrono! You deserved that! Thought I'd get you out of your brain dead state, but I guess it didn't work."
His head unintentionally tilted. "Rosette?"
"No duh, genius!" She sighed. "How long did it take for you to figure out?" By all means necessary, she was trying to lighten up the sour mood. It wasn't a bad sour, just a really weird one…
With his silence, she started to get a bit iffy. "Y'know, I am right here…" she tried to reassure him. By the look on his face, she could tell that she had finally gotten through to him.
She was right here. But… she was dead. She was supposed to be dead. She undid the contract. She died.
"I guess your kind of wondering how I'm here… I really don't know myse—" Rosette had began slowly, trying to explain her situation. She was interrupted when she had felt a tight embrace around her. Chrono knew she was probably going to kill him for this, but he couldn't hold himself back. He just needed to know she was here. He hugged her tighter to make sure she was indeed solid. Rosette sat in her growing grief. She forced her hinges to embrace the devil back, resting her head on his shoulder (which she had to bend a little ways to do).
"Rosette…" Chrono practically struggled for breath. "That wasn't really you the entire time, was it?"
She only chuckled, really not knowing what to say anymore. "I was just trying to make myself noticed, but you took it another direction."
He chuckled also. At that moment in his life, everything seemed to become brighter again, despite his previous troubles and haunting. Well, not that he thought about it, he didn't mind the haunting at all. He was actually relieved it was Rosette. It was just like her to do something like that, he should have known earlier.
--
AN: I tried to make this one long for punishing myself for not updating, so I hope I did I good job at that.
Yes, Chrono finally finds Rosette. Potential plot in the dream, so, yeah. xD
Please review, it really does help.
