Author's note: I do not claim to own any of the characters ^_^ they are a creation that is best kept by it's author. I hope he might read this one day and get inspired to write a sequel to Chrno Crusade.

If you have not read the manga, do so!!! It's good. ^_^ this fic is based roughly off the manga, interspercing some stuff inside of it, so if you're confused that's why.

Denizens of Darkness, Harbringers of Light A Chrno Crusade fanfic by Nightelfcrawler@yahoo.com Chapter Four: Rescue Ahoy!

The atmosphere was stifling… like a heated room with no ventilation, only this kind of pressure wasn't heat related, but something far more oppressive.

In the bushes, several pairs of eyes watched intently, watching and waiting for the right opportunity, the right occasion, to make their move.

"Psst…" Rosette turned her head, and squinted up at the taller sister who was kneeling next to them. "They're ready."

She nodded, and turned back, throwing a glance at the silent companion next to her, whose eyes were also riveted on their goal.

The flying fortress above.

Their goal wasn't to confront Ion at this time, though they certainly knew there was a strong possibility. They had waited for the right time, when it appeared that Ion had just left the premises, and re-appeared at his second location on earth that they were keeping sharp watch on. It was highly likely that the demon knew exactly what was going on… and didn't care. Yet, they still had to move forward. If they were to confront him, they would need a couple things to proceed…

One: Joshua.

Two: Fiore

Three: Azmaria

Azmaria wasn't necessarily key to their plan, but she was close to the order and they didn't like leaving her up there. Joshua was an obvious part…they not only wanted to preserve his life, but with the power he wielded due to Chrno's horns, he had the potential to not only stop them, but to also do away with them all.

They needed him separated from the main body of the Sinners, and contained, before they acted.

They weren't yet sure how to separate the horns from Joshua, and Chrno could give them no assistance with any guesses, since this kind of thing had not been done before, to his knowledge, and he didn't know what the consequences of forcibly removing them would be. Therefore, the best solution was to snatch him, and contain him…

As for Fiore…

Well, Stella was quite adamant about recovering her sister, for her own good reasons. But also, Fiore was a key point to Ion's defense. Between Vid and Jenai, Ion had enough attack force to make his move, but without his defense force of Rizel, Fiore and Joshua, he was weaker. They decided to leave Sheda out of it, since she was mostly the behind-the-scenes kind, and she wasn't a real threat, though her knowledge was vast.

And how were they about to do this?

Half the force of the Magdale Order was gathered on the west side of the fortress, in plain view of the enemy, while the other half hid quietly in the woods, waiting. They would create a distraction, enabling Chrno and Rosette to fly up, hopefully unnoticed, bust their way in, and take Joshua and the others back.

Or so the plan seemed to be outlined.

Rosette's eyes shifted over to Chrno once more. Ever since she had brought up the 'special' power of his to everyone, she was beginning to wonder more about the sorce of the demonic powers that fueled him, and their opponents.

~~~~~~~~

Remington had shared her silent questions, and confronted her one day with Sister Kate. "Rosette…when you go about doing this, we believe it's key that you take precautions." He handed her a piece of paper, with a solomn face, and nodded.

Rosette took the paper,  and glanced down. On it, was scribed information she had seen before. It was the diagram of the Apostles and their avatars, and some thoughts on each.

The Virtues…messengers of God: Apostles. Creatures of mortal birth, fated to bear an unusual power under God's wisdom, to flourish and bear glory of His power onto the mortal Earth. Sadly, these children often are associated with tradgedy, and unfortunate circumstances.

Faith – Apostle name unknown - abducted by Sinner Ion, condition unknown

Hope – Joshua Christopher – abducted by Sinner Ion, demonic influence

Charity – Azmaria Hendrick – abducted by Sinner Ion, condition unknown

Fortitude – Mary Magdelana – deceased, at hand of Sinner Ion and Sinner Chrno

Justice - Apostle name unknown - abducted by Sinner Ion, condition unknown

Temperance - Apostle name unknown - abducted by Sinner Ion, condition unknown

Prudence – Desere Carson – abducted by Sinner Ion, condition unknown

It wasn't a surprising layout, and as she read thorugh it, Rosette felt a flash of pity for the souls that had been captured in the wrong end of fate, forced to live a sad existence at the hands of those who sought to abuse their power, and their fates. Each of them were young children, save Mary Magdalene…and Rosette began to question the reason for the enormous age difference… Magdalene had lived over 50 years ago, had she still lived now, she would be an elder woman… yet all the others were children? Why was this?

However, the following information scrawled beneath the first, brought her up short. These were…something she had never even heard of, or considered, and as she read it, her heart fluttered to a stop.

The Deadly Sins: Sinners, demons who have broken the Law of Pandemonium and taken matters into their own hand, bearing unusually virallent powers at a 'young' age. These beings are highly dangerous, and while not necessarily evil in the traditional sense, are considered bearers of chaos, and disorder.

Pride – Ion, searches for havoc and equality on earth at the cost of life and peace. Powers display possible possession, morphology, and ethereal creaion. Possible avatar of Havoc.

Envy – Rizel, intensly loyal to Ion, bears a deep level of passion and jelousy of those who bear his favor. Powers display possible controlling of souls and minds, and twisting the threads of fate. Possible avatar of Passion.

Gluttony – Sheda, while not a glutton of food, instead a glutton for man-made creations, inventions, and created power. Powers not demonstrated, shows high ability to create man-made inventions. Possible avatar of Genius.

Lust – Jennai, seeker of battles, bloodlust, and bearing an insane streak. Powers display high battle-oriented offensive and defensive postures. High blast potential, and extensive speed use. Possible avatar of Anarchy.

Greed – Pandemonia, original ruler of  Pandemonium, odd factor out being she is far older than the rest of the Sinners, and regarded as a god-type figure among demons. Powers demonstrate high yield of control, power, destruction, and advanced abilities. Limit unknown. Status deceased. Possible avatar of Pandemonium.

Sloth – Wido, while not lazy in the traditional sense, prefers to provide backup and not take immediate action unless required. Noted to be extremely patient and supportive. Powers display battle-oriented defensive postures.  Possible avatar of Stagnation.

Rosette's eyes skimmed the list, reading carefully. She hadn't been aware that there were 7 sinners to match the 7 virtues… it also made sense, she realized, that Pandamonium and Magdalene seemed both to be the 'odd' cards out… older than the rest, in theory…perhaps there was something to that…

Wait…seven sins?

Her eyes slid down to the last line, which had been revised several times, and finally scratched out and entirely re-written.

Anger – Chrno, extremely passionate and protective of those close to him. Tendancy to become overcome by rage when loved ones are involved. Yet, extremely trustworthy, loyal, and generous, as the Order has had ample time to observe him over the 4 years he has resided here. Observations have concluded that he is not an evil being, thus leading to belief that stigma about demons may be mis-represented. Powers demonstrate a high yield control over Time, with strong offensive and defensive attacks. Known abilities, Freeze Barrier, body morphing, astral blasts, martial arts, astral barriers, advanced healing, and possible unknown elements, due to loss of horns. Possible Avatar of Chaos.

Rosette's hand shook slightly, as she read the diagnosis on Chrno. It made sense, but still…to read such cold hard diagnosis of her friend was rather disturbing.

She looked up, and handed the paper back to Remington with a set jaw. "Thank you. I'll keep that information in mind."

He nodded, his eyes softening. "It's not a bad thing, Rosette…use it to your advantage.

"I will."


~~~~~~~~

She sighed and shook the memory out of her mind. Did Chrno himself put all that together? She was afraid to ask him…

A voice knocked her back into reality. "Rosette? Are you ready?" Stella knelt down next to her, and glanced up at the fortress with a tense look on her face. She was going to be rescuing her sister… of course it was just as intense for her as for Rosette.

"Right. Chrno, ready?"

"Uhn!"

Rosette stood up, straightening her back and patting her holster to make sure her guns were secure, and then double checked that Chrno had his pack of ammunition on his back. Everything was in place. "Let's go."

With a whirl of air, and light, Stella summoned a Juwel, and they rose up into the air, rocketing at the floating fortress as quickly as they could, attempting to stay within the foggy clouds that brushed by, to avoid detection. But they were certain their arrival would be noticed nonetheless.

They sped up rapidly, the fighting distant on the horizon as the Order bombarded their opponents with every distraction they could throw at them, and created quite a wide-blown devastation of the ground beneath. However, it was enough to enable them to touch down on the platform without a hitch, banishing the summoned beast.

Chrno glanced down the outlaying hallway, his eyes narrowed with concern. It was too easy so far, there had to be a catch… Ion was always on the lookout for trouble, and demons had an inhibited sense of knowing what was going on around them.

"This way." Rosette took the lead, heading down to the left, gun drawn. Stella glanced over at Chrno with a questioning look, and the small demon simply nodded, and followed Rosette quietly.

This was the first time Rosette had ever been in the fortress outside of Chrno's memories, and she found it eerie that she recognized portions of it, though she had never set foot upon the structure. She threw a glance back at him, and saw his brow was furrowed, and his eyes looking distracted, and a bit disturbed. Of course he was worried…this place had bad memories for him.

She shook her head, focusing on the task at hand. Joshua was around here somewhere, and they had to find him.

As the rounded the sharp bend before them, Chrno paused, and then turned his head to the side, slowly, as he sensed something.

In the shadows, a figure stepped out, arms crossed, face hidden by dangling bangs.

"Sheda…" Chrno said quietly, watching the lab-coat clad cat-demon woman as she stood before them, a somber look on her face. Rosette and Stella paused, turning around, and Stella threw a cautionary glance over at the two younger figures beside her, wondering if she should prepare for battle or not against this seemingly innocuous foe.

Sheda lifted her head, and smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Nice seeing you guys again…despite circumstances." She cocked her head to the side in that feline way of hers, but her tail didn't twitch with excitement like the last time. She was obviously disturbed. "Na, you guys can't be here, you know that…"

Rosette took a step forward, a determined look on her face. "We aren't leaving without Joshua, Az and Stella's sister." She put her hand on her hip, near her gun, and tapped her fingers impatiently. "We don't wanna fight you, but if we have to…"

"I understand that." Sheda sighed, spreading her hands. "Likewise, I don't wish to fight you either…however if Ion knew that I just let you take them and I did nothing to stop you, it wouldn't be good for any of us."

Chrno nodded and averted his eyes. He understood her loyalties couldn't be compromised.

"However…"

They all glanced up at the cat-girl, and she turned one finger up, putting it thoughtfully to the side of her head. "It strikes me that if you were to attack me, I wouldn't be able to put up a fight, being as I'm not as powerful as you, Chrno."

Chrno's eyes widened, and he looked exceedingly disturbed by that. "I can't attack you Sheda…" He said quietly, a pained expression crossing his face.

"If you don't, then Ion will figure out that someone helped you take them." She said calmly, with an adjustment at her glasses. "If I were taken unaware and disabled before I could get to my equipment, none would be the wiser."

Chrno bit his lip and looked very upset about that, but Rosette shrugged and glanced at Stella. "Well, if that's the only way… One of us could…" She trailed off, as she realized that she couldn't just shoot Sheda with her gun, since a normal bullet probably wouldn't be strong enough, and yet she didn't want to kill her either.

Rosette glanced at Stella, who just shook her head. "Anything I summon could bring down the whole place, or at least knock a good chunk out of it."

Their gaze fell on Chrno, who threw them a sad look. "Chrno, just do it." Rosette said quietly. "Just enough to make it look convincing."

Chrno sighed, but nodded once, and stood taller. Rosette brought a hand up, and grasped the clock about her neck, and pulled it open with a set expression on her face.

The wind kicked up as green energy flooded out of the clocks' surface, and wrapped around Chrno briefly as his form expanded, transforming smoothly into his true form in a blink of a second.

Sheda smiled and tilted her head to the side. "Naah… It's nice to see you really haven't changed, Chrno." She closed her eyes and grinned in the first merry expression she'd displayed since they'd bumped into her. "But…be careful…" She opened her eyes, and looked at them seriously. "…there's more involved here than you know…it won't end well."

Chrno lowered his eyes, remembering the last warning Sheda had given him 54 years ago… They weren't to be brushed off, but rather taken seriously. She tended to know more than anyone else, even about events to come.

"I'm sorry." Chrno said quietly, standing up straight, his hair brushing lightly against his eyes, disguising the tears that he fought to keep inside.

"I know, don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Sheda grinned, and then took her glasses off, beginning to polish them calmly, as Chrno lifted his hand towards her.

Rosette was tempted to close her eyes, since she wasn't sure what he had planned to make it look convincing, but she couldn't force herself to do that either, as her breath was short and forced, the longer her stayed in this form…and he had to do something more dramatic, she knew. She braced herself for what she knew would come, and watched, standing beside Stella, who wore a neutral expression as she watched.

Bright white light, and the sound of a very familiar power that Rosette remembered all too well, rang through the halls, as her breath was suddenly drawn from her in a sudden rush, and she felt light-headed and dizzy, watching as a blast of energy enveloped Sheda, then faded as Chrno lowered his hand, leaving the demon-girl standing there, frozen in time, an expression of neutral surprise on her face, since she had been intent on making sure their ruse was successful.

Chrno lowered his hand, sighed, and turned back to the two. "Let's go… Rosette, you can close it again." His eyes were piercing on her, their ruby depths intense, as he urged her to save what little time she had left on her soul for better use.

Rosette nodded, and shut the clock with a rapid click, and the jaunty lines of power distorted Chrno's form, as he changed back into a child. "Will….she be ok….?" Rosette asked, still feeling dizzy and weak, since he had siphoned out a good chunk of power to freeze her.

"Yes." Chrno answered, shifting the gun pack strapped to his back and turning to face her. "Demons are more resilient. She'll be able to wear it off in a day if she wants. It's not permanent for demons, like it is for Humans and inanimate objects unless I put a huge amount of force behind it."

Rosette nodded, having suspected that since viewing Chrno's memories where he had partially frozen Ion. She felt a wave of nausea, and nearly stumbled, but a firm hand under her elbow supported her, as Chrno joined her side, a concerned look on his face. "Can you go on?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She waved a hand, a grin on her face. "Don't worry. Let's just find Joshua." She stood tall, but glanced down as Chrno's grip from her elbow, moved to her hand, as he walked forward.

"He should be this way."

Rosette's gaze slid down to his hand, as he pulled her along, Stella following them in silence, a thoughtful expression on her face. A warm blush of emotion slid through Rosette's chest and face as she realized she didn't mind the opportunity to be close to Chrno… Since when had she felt this way about him, she wondered with some surprise, as she felt her heart quicken. It must just be the result of his power use that was making her feel strange… yes, that had to be it.

They entered the maw of the building, and found themselves in the bottom section of Sheda's laboratory, empty of people, but filled with glowing, humming, electrically run equipment. Stella approached, her heels clicking smartly on the surface of the floor with an echoing reverberation, as she glanced through the adjacent door heading deeper into the compound.

Her breath caught.

Rosette finally joined her, with Chrno at her side, looking in at the inner room.

Inside, was a maze of cables, wires, and tubes, like some kind of science fiction alien vessel… it sent a shiver of fear through Rosette's heart as she spotted Azmaria, and the other apostles, all hovering in mid air, confined in the tubes, eyes closed, appearing to be in stasis. Joshua, was nowhere to be seen, neither was Fiore.

Rosette stepped forward. "Right…let's get them out!"

"Wait." Stella put a restraining hand on Rosette's shoulder, and frowned down at the girl. "If you break those things, we don't know what could happen… it might kill them. Besides, if we take Az, we should take them all."

"She's right." Chrno added quietly. "We should just find Joshua and Fiore first…then if we have time, we can come back for them."

Rosette bit her lip, but she knew it was sensible. Taking six children with them to possibly fight Joshua wasn't a good idea. "Right…then let's find him."

"That won't be necessary." A quiet voice came from behind them.

They all turned quickly, and saw a well-dressed woman in a smart maid outfit, standing behind them…

"Neesan…" Stella whispered, her eyes widening, and a look of bemusement on her face.

Fiore remained impassive. "I cannot allow you to take Joshua-sama." She spoke firmly, but with no sign of malice. "Ion-sama needs his assistance." She drew her hands up, and a glowing staff appeared in them, as she appeared set to battle them if need be.

"Chrno, Rosette! You handle finding Joshua." Stella moved to stand in front of them, so that Fiore would focus on her alone.  "I'll deal with her."

"But…" Rosette began, but was cut off as Chrno grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Let her handle it! Come on!"

Together, they ran deeper inside, leaving Stella to deal with her own 'family issues' herself. Rosette's mind spun wildly as she tried to figure out what she would do to help Joshua… She didn't know, truthfully. The idea of her brother, powerful and without memory of her scared her deep to the core. But she knew she had to get him back.

Chrno jerked to a short stop, and Rosette didn't see it until it was too late, as she plowed into him, and they both fell with a tangle of limbs and much confusion, into a sprawl on the floor. "Ack…." Rosette muttered, lifting her head, and putting a hand on top of Chrno's head, squishing him to the floor. "Smooth move, genius."

"mfffafmmm." Was his muffled response from the floor, complete with a snort of dirt up into the air.

Rosette pulled herself up, and froze, hand still on Chrno's head, but her eyes locked on the figure before them.

"Joshua…"

He stood tall, and alone before her, his eyes cold, and his face set in a distant expression, as he gazed down at them. "Where is my sister?" He asked, his voice breathy and quiet.

Rosette had the distinct impression he didn't mean her. She slowly stood up, and glanced down at Chrno as he separated himself from the floor, keeping a wary watch on the boy in front of them. "Joshua…" Rosette spoke warmly, smiling and opening her hands, though she knew she was risking a lot in trusting him. "I'm your sister…Rosette, remember?"

His eyes remained glazed, and distant, and he didn't move.

"Rosette." Chrno warned her cautiously, his eyes keeping a firm watch on Joshua. They didn't want to risk an encounter like last time.

"I know." She said quietly. "Watch my back for me." She handed him her gun, and he took it somewhat awkwardly, but stood there in silence, watching her. Rosette continued forward, her eyes straying to the horns protruding from his head, stress lines running down his temples and over his cheekbones. But she ignored all this, and kept smiling. "Joshua…you remember we made a promise to one another four years ago… You, me, and Chrno… we would travel the world together, become explorers, find adventure."

Joshua's eyes kept watching her, but at the mention of her words, they flickered briefly, and slid over to Chrno standing next to her, then back to Rosette.

"Remember when we used to lay out in the sun, and tell stories…have a picnic lunch, and roll around in the wildflowers? You can't have forgotten that, you enjoyed it more than anything else in the world!" She finished, spreading her arms wide. "It was so fun!"

His eyes narrowed a bit, and Chrno took a warning step closer. "Rosette…be careful."

She ignored him, and put both hands up to Joshua's cheeks, and stared into his eyes. "Stop it, Joshua. This isn't you. You don't NEED to be powerful. I liked you as you were. Come back to me….please?" Tears welled up as she finally broke down the barrier holding everything inside her, and let it go.

At first, it seemed as if she was getting nowhere, that it had been too long since he remembered her…but then, a slow fade of the glazed look spread through Joshua's eyes, as he focused on Rosette's face. "N…e….e…san…?" He asked slowly, then his eyes widened a bit, and dilated abruptly.

"Rosette!" Chrno flung himself at her, and knocked her to the floor just in time, as Joshua lashed out a hand, white power blazing from it, having barely missed her. The two of them rolled as Joshua recoiled, and Chrno was on his feet, passing the gun to her. "Rosette…it's too much you can't reach him!" He gasped out.

Rosette sat up, and her eyes widened as she saw Joshua turn around to face Chrno… Fear clenched her heart. It was going to happen again…

NO! She wouldn't let it.

Her gun wrenched up, and leveled at the two, and with a cry of outrage, she fired it… The bullet whizzed by Chrno's head, and plowed into Joshua with a bright explosion of light that blew everything back around them, and slammed Chrno back into her, as they hit the wall together from the back shock.

Rosette forced her eyes open, glancing quickly at Chrno seeing he seemed all right, though his face looked a bit red from the close proximity of the holy bullet's explosion. Her eyes then turned back to Joshua.

He was laying on the floor, twitching, crying out in pain, clutching his head with both hands, and to her horror, she saw blood dripping down through his right palm. "Joshua!" she gasped out, and surged to her feet, Chrno grabbing at her arm, yelling at her to stop. But all she could think about was her brother…

Blue light exploded around them, as Joshua's eyes came up, and Rosette was thrown to the ground, her hands skidding along the metal surface, finding something along the way, as she felt herself being blown out the hole in the side of the building that had just been created by the explosion of the bullet. She cried out in alarm, as she realized that she was about to be blown out of the whole fortress…and there was nothing she could do.

Her eyes lifted, and met Chrno's as he ran towards her, being pushed along himself, but using it to his advantage to catch up…however he wasn't quick enough, as her feet found air beneath them, and her stomach clenched as she fell.

The fortress shot away from her and began to grow smaller at an alarming rate, as wind whistled through her ears. Her mind was contorted with the rapid pace of things, but she realized she only had one shot, and her hand strayed to the clock, and wrenched it open.

She saw the answering surge of power above her, and then a streak of light as Chrno rocketed down like a falling star, gaining speed far quicker than she fell, until she could see the panicked look on his face, as he scooped her into his arms, and pulled out of the dive, a bare feet from the ground, as his wings strained against the pull of gravity.

As he touched down at a slight jog, both their breaths caught and exhaled as one, and Rosette felt exhaustion wash over her, not from using Chrno's powers, but from dealing with Joshua. "I…I'm sorry." She murmured softly, not allowing herself to look up at his face, not trusting to keep her wits about it.

"No…" He spoke quietly as he stopped and sighed. "It's not your fault…don't apologize… I should have…should have…" He averted his gaze, and she glanced up finally, seeing tears in his eyes.

"No, don't worry…" She said softly. "We can try again…besides…" She glanced down, suddenly aware she was still holding on to something. Her eyes glanced down, and confirmed what she had suspected, as she held up one of the horns that had adorned Joshua's head. "We have one of your horns back now."

~~~~~~~

Remington materialized out of the dark underbrush next to them within moments after their landing, and with him came a battalion of militia. "Rosette, Chrno. Are you injured?" At their negative nods, he frowned. "Where's Stella?"

Rosette slid out of Chrno's arms, still holding the broken horn in her hand, and glanced up at the floating fortress, as an explosion of light rocked it, sending debris raining down upon their heads. "She's still up there."

Remington sighed a bit, but quirked an eyebrow at the two of them. "And Joshua, Azmaria and the other Apostles?"

Rosette bit her lip. "Well…" She glanced at the horn in her hand, and then turned to face Chrno and held it up. "Here. Take it."

His face wore an odd expression, as he gazed down at the single horn in her hand. "Rosette…I…"

Her eyes hardened. "Don't be silly, Chrno. You need the power, right? It wont' change who you are, I trust that. Besides, If you have them then Joshua can't get it back."

Chrno's eyes slowly shifted over to meet Remington's eyes, as the minister just stood there, cross sword in hand, watching them with a neutral expression. Chrno's gaze slid back to Rosette, and he sighed a bit. "It wont' be enough, you realize that… Just one is not even half of the full power both give…it's like trying to drive a car on three tires… you have to constantly overbalance."

She shrugged a bit. "It will help when the time comes, if we need the extra boost though. Besides, it's only right that you take them back, being they belong to you."

Chrno sighed slightly, and smiled a lone sad smile at her reasoning. "Very well then…if that's what you wish." He murmured with a resigned look.

Rosette just smiled and reached a hand up to the side of his head, and traced the clamp attached to the left side. "Don't be so ashamed of who you are Chrno." She suddenly felt a surge of emotion well up, and she was tempted to pull back, but as she gazed up into his deep slit crimson eyes, she found that she couldn't do so…there was something deep and entrancing about his eyes, so mesmerizing, deep, and solemn with years of pain, and only a handful of years of laughter to imprint upon them.

Suddenly, Rosette made a decision. With her right hand, she found the release as he brought his own hand up to guide her to push the right spot to unfasten the clamp, and as he was distracted in assisting her there, she stood on her toes, and pushed her lips against his firmly.

At first, he stiffened in surprise, and there was an audible murmur of breaths behind them, and she thought at first he might break contact. But then, slowly, she felt his shoulders and muscles relax, and his hand slipped gently around her waist, and support her back, and he slowly returned the kiss, tentative and uncertain, just like his feelings. She herself was quite stunned at her own bold actions…she hadn't realized until now that she WANTED to kiss him…in fact, before she hadn't realized their connection was that close…sure, they cared about each other, but she had always felt that Chrno regarded her as a sister, and Joshua a brother…but this changed everything, and she was the one initiating it. Her hand guided the broken horn to the side of his head as their kiss continued, and she felt the crackle of power as the base connected with the broken roots, and sharp jolts of power announced the reconstruction of the horn that no longer was broken…

As their kiss broke, and the two slowly pulled their faces away from each other, Rosette could see the dim glow of power as the horn continued to flood it's roots into his system, much the same way Joshua had been affected, only with Chrno it was a more natural progression free of pain and complications.

His eyes were startled, and confused, but not upset, and he opened his mouth to say something, but she put a hand up covering it, and just smiled at him, then gently separated, and turned around to face Remington, leaving a very puzzled, and flustered Chrno to his thoughts.

Remington eyed her with an interested air of curiosity, but said nothing about the display of affection the entire battalion of Militia had witnessed. "Rosette, if you have no further business here, it would be wise to retreat. Our resources are pulled tight, and we cannot continue to distract the demons for long." His eyes searched hers. "Do you wish to return and try again?"

"Yes, but not today." Rosette answered with a quiet voice. "I think it's more important to retreat and care for the wounded. We accomplished something at least, though it wasn't what we intended to do."

"And what of Stella?" Remington's eyes slid skyward, noting the fighting had ceased up there.

Rosette bit her lip, and glanced back at Chrno, who had one hand to the right side of his head where his newly rejoined horn was, and had his eyes screwed tight as he allowed the process to complete, though he was absently touching his lips with his free hand, which made her smile. "Stella…" she shook her head. "We can't really help her on this. It's her fight…I suppose we could wait around but, I think we'd better leave this to her. She's a good fighter, and can get out if she needs to. Besides, she wouldn't come back after us if the situation were reversed and the safety of her own life were compromised."

Remington nodded. "We'll keep a small patrol here to keep an eye out for her, if she doesn't report back or come out in an hour, we'll notify you." His eyes slid over to Chrno, who was finally lifting his head. "Meanwhile, let's return and talk this over."

Rosette sighed a bit, but turned and snagged Chrno's large taloned hand, and tugged. "Come on." She blushed a bit, and with her spare hand, reached up and clamped the watch shut. The resulting effect was rather startling, as Chrno's form rippled a few times, shifting back and forth between his true form, and an adult version of his human guise, until finally his figure faded down and shifted to child form, as he became aware of what was going on. Rosette realized he had been right, having only one horn was somewhat unstable…but on the plus side, it allowed him to use small amounts of his power freely without relying on her soul anymore…which would help greatly.

But what would happen now?

~~~~~~

A soft tap on her door didn't cause her to stir, but it did wake her. Her eyes slid open, and watched the curtains blowing faintly in the slight breeze from the open window. She hadn't been able to sleep, her thoughts were startled and distracted, mostly focused on one solid thought…and one person.

Why did she feel like this? Why had she kissed him that way? Her heart quickened at the thought and memory of his lips against hers. She hadn't even realized she felt that way, yet here she was not able to think of anything else… Even Joshua should be on her mind at this point, but for some reason when she thought of him, her mind always went back to Chrno…

The door squeaked open, and she held her breath. She'd forgotten someone had knocked on it… She didn't turn or open her eyes, but she instinctively knew who it was…his footsteps were always the same, tiptoeing light. She heard the door close softly, and at first she feared he had simply left, but then she heard the soft creak of the squeaky floorboard by her bed, and felt motion behind her, and then heard his voice soft and gentle. "Rosette…?"

She didn't move, as her heart beat rapidly, a cadence in her ribs. Sheeh, all this over the same guy she'd known for four years? What was wrong with her!?

She felt the sheets indent beside her, and knew he had sat down on the edge of the bed by her waist, and nearly started as a soft hand brushed some hair off of the side of her face. She was tempted to open her eyes right then, but his voice spoke softly in a low whispering tone, as he thought she was still asleep. "You are a mystery…more so than I, Rosette." She heard a soft sigh, and she allowed herself to open her eyes enough to see him glancing towards the window, a bemused expression on his young face. "Why…? Why is this happening…? I'm not sure what to think… No, I don't dare try to think about it or… else…" he swallowed hard, and she saw tears in his eyes, as he glanced back down at her, forcing her to quickly slip her eyes shut again. "I never considered…this result. But…now that it has happened…I can't say I fear it." He brushed her cheek gently with a hand, and she made the required stirring motion that would be expected of a sleeping person. He paused for a moment, to make sure she wasn't 'awake', and then continued in a softer voice. "I thought that I would never be able to love the way I did before…that nothing could compare…but now…I'm not so sure about that anymore…everything I've been through, it seems hardly as harsh as I remember it…why? Because you shared it with me, and helped me through it? And now…still you're devoted to your cause though….though…" He trailed off with a slight sigh, and Rosette felt the ache in his voice through her heart.

She couldn't stand it much longer, and opened her eyes, lifting a hand to touch his face. He started, alarmed, his crimson eyes locking down on hers, with surprise written there, and then a slow red blush began to creep up his cheeks as he realized she had been fooling him the whole time. "You…were awake." He said quietly.

She smiled gently at him. "Yeah, sorry about that…." She made a goofy face, and rapped her head with her knuckles. "I was erm…tired?"

He shook his head and grinned back at her easily. "Ah…" He scratched his nose, still blushing furiously. It was clear he hadn't expected her to overhear his thoughts. But she didn't mind.

"Chrno…" She sat up in bed, and he scooted back to give her some room. She draped her arms over her knees and peered at him through the dim light. "I um…if what happened today was…um…well.." She glanced down, fiddling with a loose thread in the sheets. "I…don't really know why I did what I did…it was kind of impulse…and…I'm sorry if I did something to upset you…"

She watched him closely, as he stared down at the sheets, fighting against something or other. Finally he spoke, still avoiding looking at her. "I…was surprised…that's all. It didn't upset me."

She smiled a bit, feeling more at calm and peace, thinking that he was as uncomfortable as she was. She knew his feelings were mixed and intense, as she had felt them firsthand, but still…

They sat in silence for some time, until Rosette realized that nothing was going to be said if they just sat there…and it was an awkward silence. "Chrno…I was wondering…" She trailed off then looked back to him. "When this is all over…you'll probably be back to normal, right? What are you going to do then?"

He blinked, and a strange look crossed his face. "I… well…" He frowned and looked baffled as if he had never considered the option. He turned his gaze back outside with a thoughtful sigh. "I haven't really thought that far ahead…" He glanced back at her, and then his hand slid over to hers, and gently covered it. "I've been too busy living in the moment, enjoying what I have."

She felt a blush creep up her cheeks, and glanced up at him through lowered lashes. It was still odd to her…though he had partial use of his powers back, he still chose the child form, probably because he was more comfortable here that way. But now…well…it was just wrong. She was reminded of Stella. Geh…pedophile… She lifted her nose in the air, and held a finger up. "Na! I've decided something!" He gave her a puzzled glance, blinking cutely in the moonlight. "Chrno, if you're going to continue to look like this, then I think it would look a bit odd if you looked like my younger brother!" She squinted up at him with a devious look in her eyes. "You can change your appearance now, right? It wouldn't be right if Joshua and I were wandering the world touring with you when you looked half our age."

He blinked a bit, then a gentle smile passed over his face, showing he understood what she was hinting at, while attempting to cover her own embarrassment, but was smart enough not to say anything about it. But instead, he simply shook his head, and she watched as before her eyes, his features shifted and changed just a small bit, until he bore the appearance of something between his child and adult form, only a few years older than she. "Better?" He spoke quietly, and she became aware that his hand still hadn't left hers. She blushed more and tugged it back, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Chrno simply smiled, and stood, a bit taller than he has been, and slightly more angular, but still bearing enough resemblances to his younger form that she found it reassuringly familiar. "For now…let's just worry about finding Joshua and rescuing Azmaria…" He turned, and threw a smile over his shoulder at her. "Sleep well, Rosette."

She felt the blush rise more. "W…wait, Chrno…?" But it was too late, as he slipped out and shut the door. She sighed. Damn it…it was worse than before….