A/N: Well, at the time I'm writing this, I still haven't actually posted chapter 52! I'm having trouble with It's horrible! I'm not getting my pms, I can't get the chapters to post...well, I can't do anything about it at this point except move ahead with the next chapter so I can post them other, despite only getting 7 reviews on 51...is everyone out there as busy as me? I hardly have time anymore to write! A couple days ago, I actually did homework in my writing time- something I refuse to do! Arg, the horror! Aright then. I'm sorry if this takes me forever and a day to get up. I'm trying. Okedoke then.

I still don't own this by the way

A/n#2: Nov 27. I've been trying to post the next chapter, but it still isn't working. If this continues, I may have to do something drastic.

Chapter 53.

Chrono sat up, shaking his head to clear the shadows in his vision. It didn't work, but it had been worth a shot. Cautiously, he ran a hand over his chest, surprised that there was no blood, he was in one piece, he was fine. Just really wet. Speaking of water...he looked around, eyes following the trail of a water droplet as it dove from the ceiling to splatter on the stone floor at his feet. He shivered, for the water glittered, glowing, like there were little sparks of hell fire in them. Then again, considering the way things had been going here, there probably was. Yes, this was not quite what he'd had in mind for an evening's activity. Carefully, he drew his feet under himself, easing his weight onto them. Thankfully, they held up, and he took a step in the soft, murky world of Mary's tomb. He couldn't imagine spending 50 years here, but he had- in another life.

Another life.

Rosette.

"Sassafras!" Rosette! She was here, somewhere! His feet slipping on the wet moss on the floor, he scrambled towards the entrance of the tomb, coming out onto the moonlit ridge overlooking a huge graveyard ringed with bell towers, all tolling miserably away. Man, he really was going to detest that sound when all of this was over. He'd have to request not to have the bells rung at his funeral. Better yet, skip the funeral. Best to cremate him and be done with it. Great. He had the plans for his funeral done, he could move on with the rest of things.

Like finding Rosette. A scream rose from the graveyard below, rattling the stones of the tomb behind him. Acrid smoke wafted through the air, covering the stars, the black-grey glowing with inner, pulsing red; a hell above earth. She was falling. His stomach gave a wrench as his bare feet sloshed through the marshy grass. "Whose stupid idea was it to put a sassafrassing graveyard in the middle of a BOG?" Gritting his teeth as a pounding started behind his eyes, he slid a bit further down the hill, using the alders as handholds. At least they were good for something besides slowing- the screams rose in volume. "ROSETTE!" Damn it! He'd never forgive himself if she died here, in his stupid dream world! Forget carefully sneaking up! He dropped his hold on the alder and let himself tumble and skid down the muddy slope, crashing to a stop in a bramble of blackberries and wild roses, the thicket of thorns clawing, trying to hold him back.

"Chrono!"

"Let go!" He elbowed, kicked, and tore his way from the brambles, leaving more of himself behind then ahead as he stumbled towards the enormous black wrought iron gate that twisted and twined around itself in a doomed attempt to reach the heavens. Hang on Rosette, he willed, I'm trying! I'm almost there! Chrono grabbed hold of the latch on the gate, tugging at the lock which stubbornly kept its post, even as the huge bells above bellowed out their mourning sobs, opening the doors to the second world. "Rosette!" The screams kept getting louder and louder, but he couldn't get through!

"My my little brother. You seem in quite the hurry to enter the Field of Death. Don't be in such a rush, mm?" Chrono stiffened as a black aura, barely covered in 'pure' angelic white came up behind him.

"Superior." Pain seared through the amplifier as the angel sidled up to the gate, leaning beside him.

"Do you like my music? It took quite awhile to compose it. Right about now, the scream should-"

"Chrono" she was calling for him!

"Rosette!" He yelled, but his voice was lost in the clanging bells. "Rosette---" he gave the gate another wrench, feeling it shudder under his hands. "Open!" Superior raised an eyebrow.

"My Time, you have changed. Should I call you Chrono now, little demon?" Chrono stopped shaking the gate, panting, pain burning through his spine.

"You can call me whatever the hell you want." his fingers tightened around the heating metal. "But don't you dare hurt Rosette." Before he thought about it, his fist struck Superior's smug face. The 'angel' took a step back, his eyes narrowing.

"You're still a fool, Time. Still dallying with your precious mortal girl. Why is she so precious to you, mm?" Superior moved, faster than he'd expected, pinning him to the towering gates, his long tanned hands, curling around the younger demon/angel's neck, the pads of his fingers probing at the amplifier, the nails driving into the swollen red skin.

"Auug!!!" White lightning rushed through him, a beam strait from the burning cloud above running through the amplifier, boiling his blood, devouring his bones, through his chest, his arms, his legs, up through his skull...it ran beyond the usual veins it followed and spread like a mud slide over his skin, his soul, his being, smothering...Superior released the amplifier and Chrono dropped to his knees, his bones feeling melted, non-existent. The gonging bells thrashed at his ears, his stomach churning like the clouds above as his tried to raise his head. He. Had. To. Get. To. Rosette.

"Leave her." Superior whispered, bending close. "She's just a mortal girl. You...I can free you, Chrono. I can return you to who you were." Somewhere, he registered Superior's icy hands sliding down his neck...around his shoulder...over his side... "Let me help you, little brother. Return to my side." Even the sizzle of the amplifier seemed to have quelled under the high angel touch...maybe...maybe it wasn't so...bad...

Rosette.

"N-no." Superior arched an eyebrow, a strand of silver hair bouncing lightly across his tanned face.

"N-no? Can't I persuade you, little lost angel?" Chrono shuddered in the other's embrace. How could he have lived like this?

"No!" He snarled, pushing the other away. "I won't go back with you, ever, Superior. I don't care if I'll disappear tomorrow, I will NEVER return to you!" pressure was building up in his head again, but he ignored it, feeling like his heart was beating its way out of his chest. Rosette...Rosette...he had to get to her!!! Superior stood, towering above him, his face shadowed.

"Is that your answer then, little fool?" Chrono swallowed, but stood, his eyes flashing.

"Yes." He growled, glaring at his 'master'. The angel nodded, raising a hand.

"Very well, Time." he smiled gently. "I am a merciful God." The 'angel' snapped his long fingers, the sound diving through the air to his ears, humming.

Czzzank!

"Aaaug!" Chrono clamped his hands over the amplifier, but he couldn't, for a chain had connected itself to it, through the two holes Superior had placed there earlier. He hit the ground hard, writhing, retching, black curtaining his vision as the gate behind him burst open in a river of icy, stale air, like he was entering an ancient tomb.

"Fear not, Time. You're entering now, see? You're beloved human won't have to wait now.' Oh dear," Chrono gagged as the angel's foot ground down on his stomach. "You can't get to her now can you? But it doesn't matter, Chrono, because listen? Her screams have stopped. Ah, the blessed sound of bells." Chrono turned his head, trying to keep his eye open, cold countering the fire from the amplifier as he realized that Superior was right.

Rosette had stopped screaming.

"Bastard! What did you do to her!" Chrono rolled over, taking Superior with him. "Where is she! Where is Rosette!" The chain pulled up short, choking him like a dog, but he didn't care. "Where is she!" Superior shrugged.

"Dead now, I suppose."

"No." Forget Superior. Chrono leapt to his feet, loping across the graveyard, between stones connected by chains. He didn't have to look at each stone to know it bore his name. "Rosette!" Behind him, he could hear Superior laughing as the gates shut, trapping him there, but he didn't care. "Rosette!" She was further on, over the next hill, he could feel it. "Rosette!"

"You won't be able to save her Chrono! You never can!"

"Shut up!" he pushed further, hauling at the chain. He couldn't breathe, but breathing could wait. "I don't care about other lives. I care about NOW." As if hearing his voice, the faint flicker of Rosette's aura picked up, strengthening a little. The next hill fell behind him and he saw her, falling. "Rosette!" She didn't hear him, yelling something he couldn't understand to someone he couldn't see, but she was falling.

"Rosette!" he darted forward, only to have the chain draw him up short, a hair's breathe away. "Rosette! My hand! Hurry!"

She couldn't hear him! "No!" he screamed as she lost her grip, tumbling down into the glowing red pool below. "Rosette!" He jumped, grabbing for her hand as blackness swooped around him, engulfed him, the scene around shattering into dust as something snapped and he was falling...falling...it was so dark...where'd the red gone? All he could hear was the steady drip...drip...drip...

Bonk!

"Chrono you rat! What took you?" Rosette scowled, mud covering her face and hands, her hair, her clothes tattered.

"You-"

"Anyway, are you really Chrono? I don't trust anything I see here in this dream place. And you know? You have a really sick imagination to come up with this in your dream world."

"I didn't come up with it you- you-" she was alive. Her aura felt just like it always did...and so did her fist. "Thank God!"

"What? And why didn't you help me when I was falling mmm? And this chain." she held up the chain. "What's up with- oh!" Rosette frowned, her large eyes widening. "Chrono, you're bleeding!"
"It's fine." the amplifier was burning, but it wasn't too bad, as far as what if had been went. "I'm fine."

Whack.

"Don't fake it." the blonde growled, holding her hand threateningly close. "I can tell Mister, it's in your aura."

"But I'm not faking it." the chain clanked warningly at his neck, tugging at the amplifier. "Ow!" He grabbed hold of the cold metal links, surprised to see it ended only a few links after the amplifier.

"Your chain broke too? Doesn't the breaking of the chain mean we're dieing?" Rosette gasped.

Whack!

"Ow! What the-" Rosette's fingers curled around his arm, her eyes stabbing at his.

"You haven't disappeared yet, and I'm not about to let you, Mister demon ex-ange-

Thump!

Abruptly, they stopped falling, the black abysses suddenly turning into black ground, which slowly ebbed and shifted, the black melting away into faded blue linoleum and an abandoned blanket.

In the city of heaven, a demon swore, an angel took (large) swig of wine, twirling his glass, and a golden winged angel smiled weakly, retying the bandages on her partner's chest.

End chapter 53

Yes, I know it's short. I wrote this while chapter 52 wouldn't update, so I might get this up in the same day, something I hate doing, because then people don't review them both. However, I don't like having a second chapter left unposted for fear that I might forget. So I'll deal with fewer reviews and post anyway. Consider it a special treat for having to wait so long. -