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, interspersing some stuff inside of it, so if you're confused that's why.
Denizens of Darkness, Harbringers of LightA Chrno Crusade fanfic by Nightelfcrawler@yahoo.com
Chapter 8: Embarkation The following morning was raining, much to everyone's dismay, but that didn't seem to stop Rosette and Joshua's resolve, as they packed their belongings up with great cheer, and set downstairs for a farewell breakfast. Sister Kate smiled as the pair came down, and inclined her head. "So, you are all set to go then?" "Yep!" Rosette smiled brightly and saluted. "We'll be sure to send you postcards from Europe!" "We have given you papers for all the countries you plan to visit, as well as greetings to all the Order Branches you are going to visit. Just remember, you are representing the Order… please BEHAVE!" Rosette laughed, and rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. " Eh heh heh… don't worry, we'll do our best.""That's what I'm afraid of." Sister Kate sighed.
"Where's Chrno?" Rosette glanced around, realizing their friend wasn't in attendance yet.
"I believe he mentioned something about saying final farewells… He should be back soon." Sister Kate replied, as she sat back down to her breakfast.
"Ehhh? All the way in Michigan?" Joshua gaped a bit at that.
"Well, I sent him to carry some supplies to the 7th Bell as well." Sister Kate took a petite bite of her egg. "Since they have much re-building to do now that the freeze effect has been broken."
Rosette frowned a bit, but sat and began to eat. She supposed he did need a bit more time to deal with everything… She felt a bit bad forcing this on him suddenly, but…
Just then, a tall figure strode into the hall from the door, coat flapping behind him impressively. Everyone glanced up, blinking as Chrno paused, then spotting them sitting down, proceeded their way. He looked fairly serious, and had remained in adult form as he seemed to prefer, his clothes having matched his tall frame for this occasion. Somehow, the red overcoat seemed more graceful than on his child form. His face was strangely cheerful though, and as he took a seat next to Rosette he smiled warmly. "Good morning!"
Rosette smiled back at him, and Joshua suddenly tackled him from behind. "Morning Chrno!"
"Ach!" He glanced over his shoulder, and laughed out loud, surprising them all as he ruffled Joshua's hair fondly. "You seem to have just as hearty an appetite as ever." He winked at Rosette, who blushed a bit and glanced at her three stacked plates empty of food. "Well….you know….dancing is tiring."
He just smiled and began loading his own plate up with food.
"So… um… how did it go?" Rosette asked quietly, not sure if he was up to talking about it.
To her surprise, Chrno just smiled more and stuffed bacon in his mouth. "mmf…mmwemmgmmm."
Rosette made a face and Joshua snickered, slipping into the seat next to Chrno. "I guess it went ok then."
Chrno finished his bite and nodded. "For some reason, I feel much more… complete now. I was able to go there and be at peace… I suppose I might not visit the grave again for some time, yet it doesn't bother me in the least."
Rosette smiled and felt glad for him… it seemed that it was true he was able to move on with his life. There was a glow of peace about him, and it was contagious. "Great! Then let's get going." Rosette rose up and stretched then started towards the door, leaving the others to glance at each other puzzled. As she stepped out into the foyer, she poked her head back in. "Chrno! Don't forget the luggage!"
Everyone sweatdropped and glanced at Chrno, who smacked his head against the table. "Mou…it will never change." Joshua patted the demon on the back fondly, shaking his head, and together they rose, gathered the bags, and hobbled outside to the overhang where Rosette was waiting.
Several sisters were gathered outside, attempting to stay dry, some with handkerchiefs to their eyes. "You…will write and come back to visit, won't you Rosette?" Sister Rachel spoke softly, sniffling.
Rosette grinned brightly, pulling her raincoat on. "You betcha!" But that didn't seem to reassure them.
As Joshua and Chrno stumbled out laden with luggage, everyone began saying their goodbyes, and best wishes to the trio. Remington stood tall beneath the overhang, watching them with an impassive look on his face, and a thoughtful one in his eyes.
Sister Kate smiled encouragingly at Rosette, and handed her a small parcel. "Don't open this until you're well away from here…and any people." She added as a second thought with a slight wince.
Rosette grinned, and saluted slightly, then turned to face Azmaria and Stella. Az had tears in her eyes, as she sniffled slightly. "Rosette…Chrno…Joshua-san." She threw herself around Rosette, hugging her tightly, and did the same for Chrno, and then hugged Joshua a little less enthusiastically, since she didn't know him as well as the others. "Take care..."
"Don't worry, Az. We won't be gone THAT long." Rosette grinned cheerfully. No, they were only going touring around the world… it wouldn't take long at all…not.
"Rosette, you're going to miss the boat if you dally much longer." Stella chided softly, but reached out and embraced the young girl gently. "But do be careful. You still have much to worry about…traveling with a demon and an apostle, you're just looking for trouble."
Rosette snorted. "Nah, I think it makes us all the more safe… someone to defend, and someone to strike back, right?" She winked, and tapped her holster. "Besides, I'm not useless myself."
Stella smiled softly. "Yes, I realize that…still." She shook her head. "Just take care."
"I will." Rosette grinned.
"Oi! Rosette!" Chrno waved from down the steps, holding an umbrella up to keep from being soaked by the rain that dumped down upon them in buckets. "Hurry or we'll be late!"
Rosette threw a glare down at him and a gleam of evil mischief sparkled in her eyes. "Oi, we still COULD just take the cheaper route over there you know, Ku-ro-no." She danced her words on his name and blew a small kiss at him with a wink.
The tall demon flushed deeply, rubbing the back of his head, not sure what to make of that. "Ara… well, we may still have to do that if we miss the boat."
Rosette blew a lock of hair out of her eyes in exasperation. "Mou…fine then."
She dashed down the steps, and joined him under the umbrella, shaking water out of her hair, and lightly punched him on the shoulder, then dashed inside.
Chrno glanced once back at those gathered beneath the awning, and smiled as they all raised hands to wave them off. It was a sad feeling, leaving the place they had called home for four years, but yet at the same time, he felt the excitement that the two siblings must also feel, to go out into the world and see what was there to discover.
The drive over was rather somber and melancholy, as Rosette's eyes never left the Order's walls until they were beyond the bend, and beyond sight.
Joshua's face was eager, and while his sister sat reflecting, he turned to prattle on to Chrno. "So, what do you think London will be like? Do you think it'll be all fog-covered like they say? I heard somewhere that they were coming up with really interesting new cars there…or was that Germany…?"
Chrno smiled and leaned back in the seat, feeling a calm settle in. Just having Joshua with them seemed to not only cheer and calm Rosette up beyond what he'd ever seen before, but it also warmed his heart. It was almost as if he had a family…he had felt this kind of connection before, only once… His thoughts scattered as he forced his mind away from that topic. It was in the past now…
The car stopped, and they glanced out at the ship that loomed over them. She was a large steamer, one of the more grand ones to sail the seas. They had decided taking a ship was more practical than risking the long flight across by plane. This time of year, one could never know what storms lurked in the seas and skies, and being on a ship was far more stable than being in a tiny airplane. Though Rosette had joked about using Chrno's talents to suit their needs, she knew there was no way they could just zip across such a huge thing like the Atlantic, even going at the rocketing pace of a demon.
Remington glanced over at Rosette as the three filed out, and smiled fondly as he watched the blonde young woman stare up at the ship with bright eyes. So enthusiastic….he could only hope that her zest for life would carry her longer than her life expectancy…for it was incredibly short still.
He sighed and shook his head, picking up some of the bags and assisting with carrying them to the dock, where the three faced him for a final farewell. "Take care, Rosette…Joshua…Chrno." Remington nodded to each of them, and then put a hand on Rosette's shoulder. "I needn't remind you especially."
"Pshaw, we'll be fine!" Rosette grinned with a wink. "Stop worrying."
Joshua leaned over and whispered softly to Chrno behind her. "It's us I'm worried about…" Chrno simply closed his eyes with an embarrassed grin in agreement.
Rosette's eye twitched, but she didn't turn around.
Remington chuckled. They would never change.
**
The ship steamed it's way out into the Atlantic ocean with gusto, plowing through the choppy waters as they exited the harbor, and left the Statue of Liberty at their backs. Rosette avoided looking at it, since the reconstruction of it's base was…er…still being worked on.
The rainy day was certainly no good for being outside, and after they finally entered the ocean, the three retired to their small cramped cabin to relax. The room was small, for they had only booked a passage on the cargo ship for one room normally that fit one or two people. This wasn't a passenger ship, normally, but they were an exception.
Their luggage was all crammed under the bunks, and Joshua had claimed the lower one, while Rosette had the upper. Chrno was resting in his child form to make it easier, in a hammock slung in the space leftover in the room, which wasn't much as when the ship swayed in the waves, his sides often rocked touching the wall and the side of the bunk.
But it was cozy.
Days passed, and the three spent it mostly inside, as the weather was inclimate and stormy, and tended to be wet up on deck. They amused themselves with stories, and card games, and occasionally taking turns doodling on one another's faces.
By the fifth day however, things began to take a turn for the worse.
They awoke to a violent surge from the side, which sent Rosette and Joshua scrambling to hang onto their bunks, and Chrno sprawling on the floor in an instant.
"The hell!?" Rosette managed to extricate herself, as the ship slowed to a shuddering halt. The engines had died…
The distant sounds of shouting alerted them to the fact that something more was wrong. Joshua surged to his feet, and pulled a coat on, wrenching the door open, and peering out. Chrno's tousled head poked out from beneath, still in his child form for the time being. Rosette grabbed a couple guns, and joined them in peering out into the hall.
The corridors were a mess of people, sailors and technicians all running around crazily, panicked looks on their faces as they hurried along.
"Oi! What's going on?" Rosette shoved past the boys, and managed to cram herself into the corridor and snag the sleeve of the nearest man.
"D…demons!" The man gasped, as he stared over at the young woman with wide eyes, that suddenly registered. "Hey, you're exorcists…come on!" He grabbed Rosette's arm, and began to drag her down the corridors with him.
"Hey! Waitaminute!" Rosette staggered but couldn't break free of his grip.
Joshua and Chrno exchanged a quick glance. Demons? Here? Whatever for? Had they traced them?
But they didn't waste time in running after Rosette, until they burst out onto the deck, only to find they were in the middle of a storm.
The seas were churning wildly around them, causing the deck to dip and buckle wildly, as many sailors were having a hard time keeping their balance. Lightning flickered across the sky, and thunder rolled loudly ever few seconds, as rain slashed sideways, drenching them the moment they stepped on deck.
The deck was a mess.
Fires were burning from some of the cargo holds, thick black smoke rolling up through the rain and not seeming hindered by the fierce wind and rain in the least. It was always an amusing fact that fires seemed to rage unleashed even when surrounded by endless depths of water in the ocean around them.
Rosette glanced around, biting her lip. This was BAD…. The sailor had released her, and was babbling incoherently over the roar of the storm, and pointing to the front of the ship, where blasts of energy rained out into the sky. Apparently all the fighting was there.
The three dashed across the deck, slipping, sliding, and choking on water as waves threw salty spray up into their faces, giving them a shocking wake-up to the early morning trouble.
The moment the rounded the crates stacked near the bow, however…they stopped dead in their tracks.
Chrno's breath hissed sharply in their ears, and his hands lashed out, grabbing tightly to their shoulders as he warped to his adult form in an instant, to prevent them from running forward more. His eyes were narrowed with disbelief, and surprise.
"Jenai…Rizel….Vid…" He breathed quietly.
Rosette's gaze lifted sharply, and her breath caught as she saw the three demons, standing tall, with flames lighting the backdrop around them.
Sure enough, beside the cocky tall figure of Jenai, stood the spidery form of Rizel, fully renewed, and the bulky figure of the stocky demon whom they had not yet had much contact with, aside from fleeting glimpses and words.
The three of them all spotted the trio at the same time, and a slow smile crept over Jenai's face, as the blind demon sensed them the same time his sighted comrades did. "Chrno…welcome to our little welcoming party…" his hands spread, and a smirk lit his face. "It's in your honor, after all…why not join us?"
Joshua's breath sucked in sharply at their sides, and his head whipped around, as he cried out a quick gasp of warning. "Look out!"
Chrno's head jerked around, and he threw the two siblings aside with a violent shove just in time, as a blast of green light surrounded him, and his head whipped back in alarm.
Rosette landed with a heavy thud, and whipped her head around, eyes wide, in time to see Chrno attempt to transform into his true form, when something went wrong.
His head snapped back in the middle of the change, and a scream of pain escaped from his throat, before it was abruptly cut off as his body fell forward to the deck with a heavy thunk, and he ceased moving, his body still twitching, half-transformed.
A small figure hopped down from the crates above where she had been standing, a strange device glowing in her hands, shaped like an egg set in a electronic box of some kind. Sheda's glasses reflected the glow of the green that throbbed from the egg, and somehow seemed incorporated in Chrno's limp body, even as his eyes lay open, staring, his breath coming shallow.
"Y…you!" Rosette gasped, staring first at the other three Sinners, before her gaze landed on Sheda. "What…"
"Long time no see, Rosette!" The cat-demon grinned cheerfully at the two siblings, as Joshua looked uncertain what to say or think about this situation…he knew these people in the back of his memories from the madness that he had been under when possessed by Chrno's horns…yet… "Sorry about this, but we can't have him causing trouble just yet."
Rosette slowly stood, and narrowed her eyes as Jenai, Rizel and Vid slowly began their approach towards the three, until they were surrounded. She crouched beside Chrno, her heart beating loudly as she worried for her companion, but a quick check of his pulse told her that he was quite aware of what was going on, as his pulse was racing… But he seemed unable to do anything, though his body quivered as he fought to finish the change and break free from whatever stasis he'd been put in. It reminded her of the time when she had called him back from his own personal cell he'd locked himself into… but this was more startling, as his features were contorted sharply, veins of strain standing out on his face and neck, claws half-emerged, ears elongated.
"What do you want…?" She asked finally, standing up again, and facing the four of them with a frown, Joshua at her side, looking about nervously.
"Well, to put it simply…" Sheda smiled brightly. "You three are to come with us."
"Why?" Rosette had no idea what the four of them wanted…but considering that they had eliminated their boss….well it couldn't be good.
Sheda simply grinned more at them, the glint off her fangs in the firelight becoming more feral and frightening, as her tail twitched at her side. "That's for you to find out soon."
"And if we refuse?"
"I don't think you have much of a choice, young lady." Jenai's voice was lighthearted, and teasing. "Your pet can't help you…" his lips sneered slightly down at Chrno with indignation, "…and you can't take all of us on."
Rosette pursed her lips, her grip on her gun tightening. They were right however… she had several bullets in the chamber, but…they were normal Gospels, and like she had found before, it wasn't enough to harm the Sinners, for they were more powerful than that. And with Chrno unable to retaliate, she and Joshua didn't really have much of an offensive.
"Make your decision, young lady." Rizel's voice was cold and emotionless, as she gazed down at the three of them. It was obvious quite a grudge was being held… "Or we'll simply destroy this whole ship with you on it."
Rosette slowly lowered her gun, and bit her lip, but holstered it back on her hip, and clenched her fist. They really had no choice.
"Excellent." Sheda perked up brightly. "I knew you'd be reasonable." She punched a few buttons on the small device she held, and Chrno slowly was lifted into the air, the green light throbbing around him stronger as she moved him. His eyes remained open, but Rosette could see him trying to focus his gaze though it seemed nearly impossible to do.
A sudden arm around her waist almost caused her to shriek, as Jenai scooped her up and shot up into the air twenty feet before hovering there. Rosette had no choice but to cling to him to help fortify her precarious position.
"Now, young lady…" Jenai's voice was teasing, but there was a hard edge to it. "Don't hate us for being what we are." And with a hand scooping out in front of him, Rosette watched in horror, as Vid and Rizel joined them, each carrying someone, as Sheda manipulated the device carrying Chrno from Vid's back.
Together, the three demons held their hands out, and a torrential blast of energies shot out towards the deck of the ship, and before Rosette could cry out in alarm, the ship exploded into a fireball of orange light beneath them, the screams of the sailors sounding briefly, before being cut off abruptly as the ruined wreckage of the ship slowly began to sink beneath the choppy waters.
Rosette felt hot tears drip down her cheeks, as she watched helplessly, as the people they had been traveling with died abruptly into the night. Her voice caught as she forced out the question that buzzed in her mind. "Why… why did you have to do that!?"
Jenai tilted his head at her, his grin fading a bit and an almost thoughtful look replacing it. "We needed it to look like an accident…otherwise they would find you right away, wouldn't they?"
With that parting word, the three hovering demons and the one captive one grouped together, and a brighter green glow surrounded them as Sheda held out another device, and activated it.
There was a brief disorienting blur of the scenery around them, which then faded into another one, as they re-appeared in a different location.
Rosette remembered it of course, instantly. Eden… they were on the floating fortress the Sinners had called home for so long…it hadn't been destroyed during the rampage, however it was apparently heavily damaged….
Go Stella… Rosette thought as she angrily wiped away some tears from her eyes.
Jenai didn't set her down, but instead glided towards the entrance of the small metal domicile in the center of the floating grass terrain. Once they reached the outside, he landed, and his form warped back into a human guise, and he gave Rosette a side-long tilt of his head, before his hands whipped out, ripping the two guns from her with lightening speed. "Can't have you using these, now can we…." He mused, crushing the guns in his fist as Rosette watched with disbelief.
Her jaw worked silently in anger, as Rizel dropped Joshua beside her, and shifted back into her human guise as well, which rather surprised Rosette, as she had never seen her in such. The woman was very attractive, though the sour look she wore on her face was ever-present.
Rosette turned around, as Vid and Sheda caught up, Chrno floating eerily behind Sheda as the cat demon pushed a few more buttons. "What's this all about?!" Rosette demanded once they had all gathered in one place. "What on earth could you possibly have to talk to us about, now that Ion's dead?"
Rizel snorted, and rolled her eyes lightly, as Jenai grinned. Vid remained impassive, as Sheda gave Rosette a knowing look. "Ahh…? What could it be, I wonder!" She winked, and then turned about, heading down the corridor, pulling her captive behind her.
The other Sinners all turned, and began to walk away, leaving Rosette and Joshua standing there, confused, and angry.
"I don't get it…" Rosette ran a hand through her hair, a frown on her face. "They want Chrno? Is that it?"
"I'm not sure." Joshua spoke quietly from her elbow, peering after them. "I guess they must…they seem to be ignoring us…"
"Let's get the hell out of here then, and go back for reinforcements!" Rosette grabbed her brother's arm and turned to face him. "Fly us out of here!"
Joshua nodded, and was about to manifest his wings, when a quiet low voice startled them from the side. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you."
They both turned their heads, and saw Vid had paused behind the rest, watching them quietly. Out of all the demons, he had always been the least involved, and the one who didn't seem to want to get involved unless he had to.
"Why not?" Rosette scowled at him.
"There is a barrier around this place. It will kill you if you attempt to leave." He said quietly. "The only way in and out are by Sheda's transports."
Rosette's shoulders slumped in defeat. So they were stuck here? She glanced at Joshua, who just glanced back at her, helplessly. Great. She turned back to Vid. "What's going on here…? Why did you bring us?"
Vid glanced at them, and then turned to walk down the way the others had departed. Rosette and Joshua quickly hurried to join the bulky demon, who was far more gentle than his large frame hinted at. At first, Rosette thought he wasn't going to answer, but then he spoke as they continued walking. "We require Chrno here to assist us. I regret that we had to bring you as well, but your assistance will be needed later."
"So you just kidnap us?" Rosette stuffed her hands into her dress pockets, a baffled look on her face. "I thought everything was over with… why do we still have to be enemies."
Vid glanced at her, and a faint smile crossed his normally passive stoic face. "We do not have to be so… however we believed Chrno would not come willingly at first. He is far more powerful than we are, now, and the only chance of getting him to come was by capturing him when he was not prepared."
"You're not going to hurt him, are you?" Joshua asked softly, worry on his forehead as he frowned. "You all were friends once."
"Once…" Vid looked faintly nostalgic, although it was incredibly hard to tell since his visage was pretty neutral most of the time. "It's a pity things happened the way they did…"
Rosette looked thoughtful for a moment, running that over in her mind. Things were far more complex than simply black and white, she had discovered. Chrno avoided the question when she asked if he still cared for his old comrades, and she had sensed sadness every time he had gone up against them. Obviously, they held similar feelings.
They came to a stop outside an open doorway, and Vid stepped in, the two children behind him. They were inside the front portion of a laboratory, and many screens, wires, and electronic gadgets were strung across the ceiling, walls and floor in messes. Vid led them through the doorway beyond it, and down a short corridor. As they walked, Rosette felt they were approaching the near center of the small dwelling up top of the base, and as they stepped out of the small tunnel into a larger room, she quickly saw she was correct.
They were in a strange chamber, which was decorated above and below in a maze of wires, catwalks, and windows to allow light in. They were on the middle section, and below them, Rosette could see a tall pillar of green energy coming from a center network of pipes laid on the floor below. On either side of the pipes, were small glowing pools…
Her heart sped up. She'd seen these pools before…in Chrno's memories… after Pandemonium's attack on the party, Ion had knelt beside Rizel here.
Motion attracted her attention, and as she peered down, she saw Sheda below, rummaging around with wires and cords, as Rizel held the device keeping Chrno passive.
Vid led them down, and as they reached the bottom floor, Rosette watched as Sheda positioned the prone demon into the center portion of the room, where a circle of metal partitioned out from the rest of the pipes. It had been this where Pandemonium's head had resided before, and now, was vacant.
Joshua glanced over and spotted Jenai flipping a coin up and down while leaning against the wall off to the side, head tilted as he 'listened' to what was going on.
Sheda reached forward, and tugged Chrno into the center circle, and without hesitation, began to hook up wires. Rosette bit her lip watching, as with Rizel's help, they removed his coat and ripped his shirt off of his unresponsive body, before continuing to hook up wires and straps to him. A metal collar with several cords running from it, into each of the 8 pools surrounding him to every side was around his neck, several straight bands of a bendable metal were wrapped around his torso, and upper arms, as two more bands with wires were connected to his wrists, and his legs and ankles were strapped to the floor to prohibit movement.
With a flick of her tail, Sheda touched a switch on the device in Rizel's hands, and the green glow that had flickered around Chrno, holding him still, dropped. For the longest moment, Chrno's shoulders drooped, and his breaths came sharp and almost as if he had been running a marathon, as his head jerked up at them with an angry, confused look.
"Sorry…." Sheda spoke quietly, avoiding meeting his eyes, as she touched a panel beneath where he knelt, with rapid succession.
A green force field barrier shot up in front of Chrno, surrounding and enclosing him, and at the same time, his head snapped back in pain, as his body rippled, and transformed into his true form before their eyes.
Rosette winced, seeing the look of surprise on his face, and gathered that he hadn't been the one who had initiated that… they were manipulating him like a mere puppet, and there was nothing that she or Joshua could do about it.
Sheda stepped forward once more, and pushed through the force field, to so some more fiddling, as Chrno panted for breath, his lips moving in a question that the two children couldn't hear from their distance. Whatever Sheda's response was, Chrno frowned a bit, as the cat-demon began to attach banded connectors to each of his horns, running them down the full lengths of the bone, and across his cheekbones, much like the clamps he used before when his horns were gone.
Sheda pulled back finally, and the force field cut back around in front of her, enclosing Chrno, alone in the device once more. His breath was coming heavy, and his wings were splayed to each side, half elevated, half on the ground by his shackled feet. His tail curled around to one side by a knee, and twitched occasionally belaying his irritation, despite whatever weakness he seemed to be inhibiting from Sheda's fiddling.
Rosette couldn't stand it anymore, and shoved past Vid, taking steps forward until she was in front of Sheda, staring down at the cat with a hostile glare. She opened her mouth to let lose a stream of angry comments, when Sheda's hand quickly raised to cover her mouth, interrupting her thoughts.
"I know what you're going to say, Rosette." Sheda grinned up at her and winked. "But trust me… this wont' do any permanent damage to him…I think."
That wasn't altogether reassuring, Rosette thought as her gaze lifted to Chrno, who lifted his gaze to her own, puzzlement evident in his eyes as well. It seemed he couldn't freely access astral, or Rosette knew he would have already burst out of the confined space.
Sheda danced away from Rosette, and stepped off to the side where a panel had been erected, and began punching in several buttons humming lightly.
Rosette grit her teeth, and stalked back over to stare over Sheda's shoulder. She didn't understand what was going on, but it wasn't like she could stop them anyway…it was frustrating to no end, and she was certain the demons knew it as well. If they had been in a position to interrupt what was going on, then they wouldn't have been allowed in this chamber in the first place.
"All right, I'm ready." Sheda turned around, her eyes glittering as she glanced back at Vid. The taller demon nodded, and exited the room. Sheda turned then, finally, to Rosette. "Sorry about all of this, but you see… Chrno is the only one who we can use to do this. Apostles don't harness the right kind of astral, and all the rest of us are either injured, hornless, or not powerful enough. Out of the five of us all, Ion and Chrno were the strongest…so we need someone of equivalent power, to bring him back you see."
Bring him back…? Rosette's blood froze, as she turned her head to watch as Vid stepped back in, carrying something in a small box. Her heart pounded with realization, the same time that Chrno's head jerked up, and she saw he had realized the same thing she had.
Sheda accepted the small box, then knelt down by the edge of the pool, and dipped the items inside in.
Two black slivers of light floated in the middle of the pool, sleekly curved up slightly…
Horns.
When they had fought Ion, Rosette had noticed his horns were gone, and knew that Chrno had been surprised as well. However Ion had lost his horns, it was unknown to them both. Nonetheless, it seemed that either the Sinners had found them, or they had them all along, and had been using them for another reason… nonetheless, they were there now, glinting eerily in the green glow of the lights around them, and Rosette knew with a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach, that somehow, Sheda had found a way even though that was all that remained of their foe.
With a few quick flips of switches on the console, the pool lit up, and the field around Chrno did as well. Rosette winced, as she saw Chrno's head jerk back once, and his whole body shuddered, as the horns on his head and the device wrapped around them light up brightly, and began moving down the cords that they were attached to, and encircling the enclosure. A strange crackling sound began to emanate from the pool, as energy flickered around it like hungry flames.
Rosette understood what they were doing, suddenly, and she felt a surge of sadness and understanding. Essentially, Chrno was a battery to help re-construct Ion from what little of him they had left. How long would it take though? Her eyes slid up to Chrno, and saw though he looked highly uncomfortable, and his brow was covered in sweat, he didn't seem to be in any real pain. They were just forcing him to use his powers, and siphoning them off into another location. She lifted her eyes to meet Chrno's, and saw the same understanding reflected in his eyes, as they locked gazes. She had to admit, she didn't think that Chrno would have agreed to helping them on his own either…but now that he was being forced to do so, she could see an almost grudging respect for what they were putting him through, and she knew he wouldn't try to stop them.
Rosette sighed, and scuffed the dirt a bit. In the meantime, what were they going to do?