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.
and by now I'm so far off of the manga, I should just warn you that most of what happens, never happens in the manga XD. It stopped doing that around act 1's conclusion.
A Chrno Crusade fanfic by Nightelfcrawleryahoo.com
Chapter Sixteen: Pursuing the Pursuers
At first, all she saw was light. Brilliant, blinding light, that dazzled her vision and caused her to flinch. She almost closed her eyes, but the desperate need to see what it was she was facing caused her to keep them wide open. Wind whipped around her face, pulling at her hair, and stinging her cheek. It felt cold, chilling to the bone, but at the same time she was drenched with sweat from the heat the threatened to consume her.
Then… abruptly it was over.
Her vision began to clear, black spots dancing before her as the light faded around them, and she once more could see the dim shape of Ion in front of her, standing still, turning his head to gaze around him.
She had of course prepared an image in her mind of what Pandemonium was like…after all who wouldn't have an idea of what Hell was like? Fire, brimstone, darkness and foul things laughing, cackling waving pitchforks and the like…
So when she beheld the desolate place before her, she was somewhat taken aback.
Pandemonium was empty of life… devoid of color…and very barren. Surrounding them on all sides, were empty fields with only a trace of vegetation, where a tree had once stood, naked to the iron-gray sky, and cold to the stone brown earth beneath it. Cold wind blew harshly across the barren wasteland, and Rosette glanced to the horizon, and saw iron grim mountains rising high into the sky like jagged teeth, sharp and foreboding, to meet churning turbulent clouds amid the peaks, riddled with lightning.
To the naked eye, it appeared that no sign of habitation was evident across the barren plains. But upon further scrutiny, rubble could be seen, strewn about the grass as fine as pebbles and sand, with only a larger bolder evident once in a great distance.
The only sound in this vast empty place, was the soft sound of the three companion's breath, as it slowly released one at a time after realizing the situation they stood in the midst of.
"This…isn't quite what I pictured Pandemonium to look like." Rosette finally spoke quietly, almost afraid to raise her voice above a whisper, as if it might break the sanctity of this hallowed ground.
"You aren't alone…" Chrno's voice sounded slightly strained, as if he was fighting to hold in his emotions. He gently let her slide out of his arms, as he glanced around, eyes surveying the scene, wide and astonished. "It's changed."
"It seems the corruption is more than simply destroying the residents." Ion mused, turning his head this way and that, peering at the wasteland. "There is almost no life here any longer… the structures have all been demolished."
"No kidding? You mean there was actually something to this place?" Rosette's voice dripped with sarcasm. "It must have been a real vacation spot for the ladies."
A heavy hand on her shoulder silenced her wry humor quickly, as she glanced up at Chrno's melancholy face. "It was never a 'beautiful' place by any means… but it at least was filled with energy and life…" He closed his eyes and shook his head lightly. "It's so cold and empty here now."
"Well… no sense worrying about it." Rosette elbowed him lightly, with a grin. "How about finding those… friends of yours."
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Ion turned, a thin eyebrow arched at her in amusement. He spread a hand gracefully about him in a gesture indicating she was free to give it a try.
"Hmph." Rosette rolled her eyes at the demon, and grabbed Chrno about the neck, hauling herself up into his arms, as he staggered a bit to support her. "Well we're not doing any good just standing here."
Ion laughed and spread his wings. "She does have a point."
"Uhn…" Chrno agreed, throwing her a knowing smile. "That she does." His own wings snapped open with a crack of the air around them, and Rosette grinned as her stomach clenched for the take-off into the air that abruptly followed.
Rosette peered around as the pair fell beside one another, wings so close that one small updraft would knock them into one another. She could tell they both were instantly on their guard, the moment they took to the air. They flew in a tight defensive position, eyes scanning the surrounding region, and Chrno held her close to him, in case of any sudden action that might require him to move swiftly.
It didn't take long.
Two demons soaring through an otherwise empty sky was clearly calling for attention to be riveted upon them.
The forms materialized from the dark ground swiftly, and rocketed up towards the trio as swiftly as the blink of an eye, but they were prepared well in advance for their arrival, and froze in place, standing back to back in mid-air, instantly on guard.
There were easily twenty of them, all bristling from head to toe, weapons aimed directly at their center targets, all of their faces set with expression of fury, anger, hatred, and furiosity. For the longest moment, no one spoke or moved, instead they all simply regarded each other warily, sizing up the opposing side.
Rosette almost wanted to smile at the scene. Here they were, calmly barging into the demon home world, two Sinners and a nun, facing a barrage of demons, and she wasn't even worried. No, she was somewhat excited actually…which made her wonder if it was wrong to feel such.
"Well well well…" one of the demons slowly moved forward, apparently the spokesman of the group. He was missing an eye, and had numerous scars from battle welting all over his body, like many of his comrades. His wings were tattered, yet still able to support him, and one of his horns was chipped at the top of it's spiraling curve around the side of his head. "The Sinners… you must be quite desperately seeking death to return here." Cold laughter accompanied the demon's words, but Ion simply smiled patiently, and Chrno remained impassive. "We shall have great pleasure in killing you both…perhaps then we can become strong enough to defeat our enemy." His hands warped into blades, and likewise the others surrounding the brothers did the same.
Rosette felt Chrno's muscles tense beneath her, and she feared for a moment that they would have to take a stand and fight the demons here and now…however Ion was always one for suave discussion, and smoothly spoke up before any violence could take place.
"Really now… killing us might be a self-fulfilling pleasure for each and every one of you… however it will not assist you accomplishing your goal." There were many growls of dissent that rumbled around them, but Ion smoothly continued. "Now, on the other hand, if we were to provide you with an alternative solution to assisting in the destruction of the Destroyers, that might be worth delaying your bloodlust for revenge, now wouldn't it."
His saucy demeanor clearly irritated them all, and several of them looked about ready to break ranks and charge them, however the spokesman for the group growled, his eyes narrowing into tight glowing red slits, as he realized the truth of the matter. "You have another option?" The choice between revenge for the hatred of the Sinner's crimes, and the choice to save what little remained of their home was obviously a hard decision to make.
It was also clear to Rosette, who had somewhat gained a more in-depth perspective into the small nuances of demons, that these facing her were not as powerful as the two allies with her. She had at first created a theory as to the reason behind the gems that marked the foreheads of the demons. Sheda and Vid had only had two each. Rizel had dotted markings instead, and Jenai of course she had no clue, being she had never seen him without his blast shield that protected his injured eyes. Both Chrno and Ion had three, and were clearly the more powerful of the group.
However, her theory had been thrown out when she had lain eyes upon Pandemonia's head. The most powerful of all the demons, had only two gems, and the largest horns of course.
She had often meant to ask what they signified. Perhaps a duty rank? Perhaps they were more battle oriented, and the others were strategy motivated?
Whatever the cause, the ring of demons surrounding them now were clearly lower in power status, but yet they also greatly outnumbered them. Fighting them off would be a challenge, and thus not a smart move especially if they were conserving to go up against a Destroyer.
"I have a potential solution, if it's not above your willingness to negotiate." Ion smoothly said, adjusting his glasses with a calm flick of his wrist. "I do suppose Dufou is on the end of all of your leashes?"
There was a furious growl that rumbled from the throng of demons, but the spokesman just remained impassive. "Lord Dufou is in charge, yes."
"Then, shall we quit the stalling, and get to business? Or do you intend to sit here drawing attention to ourselves all day long?"
The demon narrowed his eyes further, but after a moment's consideration, abruptly turned and with a swift motion of his hands as they warped back to normal, the others around them stood their guard down, and moved aside for the Sinners to pass.
Ion shared a swift warning look at Chrno and Rosette, before diving down, following their guide, as he shot towards the earth at an amazing speed. Rosette made sure one of her hands was free to grab a gun at any time, the other holding onto Chrno's arm for support, as they dove downwards, following the lead given them.
They soared above the rocky terrain for a short time, weaving and diving between chunks of what had once been buildings, before they entered a more littered area. Here, were foundations that were still clearly visible, though the exact design of the structures couldn't be determined, it was clear there had been far more habitation here.
She glanced up swiftly at Chrno's face, and saw his eyes scanning the rubble. "Hey… what was this place?" She murmured low so that only he could hear.
His eyes glanced down at her and she saw that echo of sadness evident in them. "It was our …" He hesitated as if searching for the right word. "…nursery if you will."
Her eyes widened. "Huh?"
"This was one of many incubatory rooms, where Pandemonia raised her offspring." He explained quietly. "The young were born, taught, and raised in such structures… something like a school. When they were finally old enough to take their places in her ranks, they were allowed outside and assigned to units."
Rosette blinked, and glanced back down. There was no sign of any infantile demons in the rubble beneath, and for that she felt relieved. She remembered the conversation she had been privy to during her journey through Chrno's memories… and while his own memories had been vivid, quick, and sudden almost like flashes of light rather than memories of scenes, she had seen death there like she had never seen before. She knew that this troubled him greatly, seeing 'children' slaughtered before they had a choice in the world.
She shook her head quickly. What was she thinking. These were demons… they didn't create children so much as they bred warriors. Chrno was unusual in his sentimental feelings, and she thought the same went for the other Sinners. They were thinkers… dangerous in a hive minded society where you blindly followed the orders of your superiors. Thinkers destroyed the way things were 'supposed' to work.
And it was the Thinkers who would be saving the whole society, this time.
Her gaze lifted back to her companion and she frowned more. "Chrno?" His gaze lowered down at her once more, faintly questioning beyond his grim visage. "What's bothering you so much? You've been so… serious and morose lately."
A flash of something akin to panic crossed his face, and his breath caught briefly. "Ah… can we talk about this later… when we aren't so crowded?" His gaze flickered meaningfully over to the flock of demons covering them on all sides.
She sighed with frustration. "Yeah.. sure."
They didn't have much time left en-route as it was, and abruptly the demon leading them drew to a halt outside a mound of rubble. Rosette slipped to the ground, but didn't get more than an arms length away from her guardian, as the demon tapped a place in the stone, and it fell in on itself, revealing a passageway.
The foul rank air that wafted out of the crevasse was cause enough to cover her mouth in disgust, but before she could get a fresh gulp, Chrno was walking forward, propelling her inside the maw of blackness.
The moment the door slammed shut above them, they all were plunged into inky pitch, which terrified Rosette to no end, and she found herself clutching tightly to the nearest arm she could find, gasping for breath. The demons seem to know where they were going, or could see in this darkness, for they walked along without bumping into anything, taking twists and turns until suddenly, they turned a corner and light spilled down from the open doorway before them.
The inner sanctum was clearly a war room.
The walls were lined with steel plating, re-enforced with glowing green panels of light that gave off a pulse every few seconds. A solid table was in the center, covered with plans and papers, and a few scattered items that looked suspiciously like bloodied spikes used to etch words on the papers.
Rosette shivered, and clutched tighter to her support, when a soft tap on her shoulder made her turn around, blinking.
Chrno was staring at her, very baffled, both arms crossed in front of him, and his eyebrow arched over one eye.
Rosette's eyes slowly traveled back to the arm she was attached to… then back to Chrno… then slowly lifted to meet Ion's amused smile. "As much as this is a lovely sensation, having you coddle me to you, I do believe I shall get disemboweled if you remain embracing me, Rosette."
Her face slowly heated, and she let go of Ion's arm as if it had burned her.
"Really… I begin to see what you find so compelling in her, Chrno." Ion flexed his hand lightly and grinned wider as his companion went a deep shade of crimson to match the young nun.
"Well… this is certainly unexpected." A deep voice came from ahead of them, and all eyes turned as the dark figure of Dufou emerged from the opposite side. He looked the same as Rosette remembered him, however there was a long scar across the side of his face, and his upper chest, as if a giant sword had swiped across his torso… considering how demons healed, such a mark was rather startling to Rosette, for she knew Dufou had more power than any of them in this room.
The Duke regarded them with a narrow, piercing gaze, before gesturing with one hand, and approaching the table. "Come. Let us discuss the options then. I assume…" He looked at the two Sinners each in turn. "…that is why you have returned? To assist us?"
Ion approached the table without hesitation, gazing quickly down at the maps as he did so. "It is. We believe we may have an advantage you lack."
Dufou's eyes lifted, and locked on Rosette. "One girl cannot turn the tide of battle."
Ion's smile widened. "One girl perhaps not. One girl armed with holy weapons, perhaps."
"One holy weapon is still hardly enough." Dufou frowned in apology at Rosette, actually seeming concerned. "I have seen what your weapons can do, but I doubt they are enough."
"Not these babies." Rosette patted her hand against the holster. "These are the newest make and model, ten times the power of one Gospel. Guaranteed to knock your teeth out and leave you breathing through your ears."
The silence that pressed in on the room was suddenly ominous.
"Right…" Dufou finally said, giving her a perplexed look. "We have not tried holy weapons against the Elite… it's possible it will work. However…" His gaze lifted to Ion. "It's your risk in attempting to test your theory. We shall not assist unless there is certain victory at hand."
"Understood." Ion straightened. "We are here to test our theory, simply put. If it works, we'll return with more. If it doesn't, we have at least made an attempt."
Dufou shook his head slowly. "If you fail, you will be dead."
While it was very strange to be in the den of demons, and having every one of them ignore you as if you were a small bug, to Rosette, it was even stranger simply thinking that she was the only one who was able to put a stop to this whole thing.
She sighed, and rounded the corner, and strode into the small chamber that had been set aside for the three 'guests' of the facility… namely, them. Sure enough, Chrno was seated on a bolder in the room, turning over a pebble in his hand, staring at it as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
She elevated her eyes to the ceiling and grumbled a curse, and stalked forward with purpose. "Ok. Enough of this. Spill it."
Chrno's head came up, and he blinked at her for a moment, startled by her sudden appearance. "What…?"
She stopped next to him, and crouched down so that she was eye level with him, and grabbed his hand, stopping it from turning the pebble over another time. "You're sulking. I want to know what the HELL is on your mind Chrno." At his flat look, she scowled. "Come on, we've known each other for over five years now. If we've built anything in that time, it's trust of one another. If you can't trust me enough to spill whatever is on your mind, then I dunno what we've been working for." She draped her hands over her knees peering up at him intently. "How can we go through all of the crap we've been through if we can't even trust one another with what's on our minds! Out with it!"
Chrno had been avoiding looking at her during her little speech, his eyes obscured by the dangling locks of his bangs. When she finished her tirade, she thought for a moment that he would smile, laugh and apologize, realizing he had been foolish.
However, when his deep crimson eyes came up, what she saw stunned her.
His eyes were cold, and suddenly very frightening to look at. This was something that she had never before seen aimed at her, and to suddenly see Chrno look at her, as if she was suddenly an enemy, froze her heart still.
His voice was quiet, but very cold and emotionless as he spoke, it was the voice of the Sinner who had slain one hundred of his kindred, not the kind voice of the boy she had come to know and love.
"You speak of trust, Rosette." The hair on the back of her neck rose at the chill in his tone. "Yet you have refused to confide in me with your own trust."
She stared at him, open mouthed, caught completely by surprise. "W…what?"
His eyes were pools of inky bloodstained wells of darkness, focused on her, piercing her deeply through to her very soul. "What is it, that Sheda spoke to you about."
She almost laughed out loud right there, if it weren't for the fact that right now, Chrno was frightening her far more than he had ever done before… it even surpassed when he had forcibly unsealed the watch in rage, leaving her grasping at the life streaming from her like a fish out of water. "Is… that what this is all about?" She was honestly puzzled. It wasn't THAT big of a deal… why was he so agitated over it?
He remained silent, however, leaving her to quickly fill the silence, before it became oppressively smothering. "Look… I'm sorry that I didn't tell you right away… but I… well I didn't want to worry you." His stoic expression hurried her onwards. She did NOT want to see him staring at her this way. It was a slap to her face. "Look… you're right, ok. I'll tell you. But the fact of the matter is, I wanted to make it a surprise…"
She took a deep breath. "When Sheda gave this back to me…" Her hand grasped the open pocket watch glowing at her chest. "…she wanted me to promise her that I would keep this quiet… for obvious reasons. But she felt the need to warn me." Her eyes traveled down to the timepiece, then back up to the cold glittering depths of the demon in front of her. "The clock feeds power back into my soul, this we know… but what do you suppose will happen once my soul is complete and whole again?"
His brow furrowed very slightly, breaking some of the icy exterior he wore. "It will no longer be needed."
"Yeah… but if I take it off, then you're back to where you started… dealing with holy power that is slowly killing you from the inside out."
A faint nod came to him, as he slowly understood the dilemma. "Then…"
Rosette sighed and dropped her hand again. "I'll tell you." She took a deep breath, and opened her eyes, meeting his directly, unafraid. "It will come to a point, where it will replenish every second that is taken away. Every breath, replaced… until there is nothing to replenish from the loss I lent you, but instead the small ticking away of every second I live." She read the frown on his face, and continued, aware he wasn't understanding what it meant. "Demons have long lives, you've told me that before. Basically what it means, is that you and I will never be separated from one another….ever…" Her eyes held his as she saw them widen slowly. "Unless one of us dies abruptly. I will live as long as you. Our lives are connected now. As long as you have life to feed back to me, I will continue to take it. You see the dilemma now, don't you?" She saw recognition in his eyes. "If this were to fall in the wrong person's hands… the temptation to become virtually immortal…it's a tempting idea, and one that could easily be exploited."
She leaned forward, placing her hands over his knees, pressing his hands to hers. "We can live as long as we want, Chrno. And if we ever tire of that fate, all we need do is terminate it." She smiled slowly up at him. "We don't ever have to be separated… ever. You see why I was keeping it from you now? The fewer people who know the secret, the safer we are… if anyone were to find out, you can imagine what demons and humans would do in order to gain immortality…"
His eyes slowly closed, and his shoulders drooped, and his grip shifted so that he was gently holding her hands in his. He sat that way in silence for a long time, as she watched him, uncertain what his reaction would be. He didn't seem pleased with it…
Finally, his eyes lifted, and she was somewhat relieved, and disturbed to see tears in his eyes, no longer the cold fire of a demon's wrath directed at her. "I… feared it was something like that."
"Feared?" She frowned, tilting her head to the side. "Why would you fear it? This is a great opportunity for us." His hesitation caused her to trail off. "What is it…?"
His eyes lowered slowly. "Such a connection…it can't be without consequences." At her confused look, he glanced back up. "Don't you feel it? Don't you feel the connection between us?"
"What? The watch…?"
"No… something deeper." He slid one hand over hers, cradling her palm gently. "Maybe… you can't feel it…But I can." He sighed. "Demons are sensitive to the souls around them… I can feel yours, every moment that we're connected." His gaze lowered to the glowing clock at her chest. "I always have. It's a re-assuring feeling… to know how you feel, where you are… to know you're always there." At her warm smile he shook his head further. "But… it's that connection that worries me."
She thought over his words. "I'm not sure why. Isn't it a good thing to feel close to one another?"
"Yes… but I'm not sure you completely understand what I mean." She waited patiently as he continued, his voice slowing and lowering in volume. "Our lives are connected Rosette, through a tentative, and experimental device, that links our souls." His gaze lifted slowly. "What worries me, is if one of our souls is terminated… what will happen on the other end?"
She blinked, then frowned instantly understanding what he was getting at. "Hold on a minute… Neither one of us is going to die anytime soon, Chrno."
He sighed. "Not intentionally… but we're about to go up against a foe far greater than either one of us has ever faced before. A foe that could easily destroy everything we've fought to live for." His eyes rose to meet hers. "What scares me is…what happens to you if I…"
She cut him off. "Enough. It won't happen, ok?" she smiled up at him encouragingly. "It won't. Because if we fight together, we go in together. What will happen to you will happen to me, and that's the way I prefer it, and I know you feel the same way, right?"
He met her eyes, but didn't reply, and she had the sudden fear that if it came down to it, he would do anything to keep her alive, even if it meant…
She set her jaw and leaned forward, nose to nose with him. "We're in this together. Where you go, I go. Nothing will prevent that from happening, that I promise you."
She squeezed his hand tightly in her own, and was relieved to see his eyes soften and his head dip in an agreeing nod.
What she missed, was the tightened look of resignation that crossed his face after she smiled and closed her eyes.
What she didn't know… was that the influence from the merging of souls didn't manifest itself ONLY in the by product of holy astral energy…
For Mary Magdalene was well known for one other aspect.
And Chrno had inherited that too.
Author's note: a shorter chapter than normal, but just as action packed. sorry.
Beware of the next chapter. Very long, very depressing
Enjoy!