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 Seventeen: Destruction
Rosette shivered despite the clammy warmth of the humid environment, and the weight of her habit pressing down on all sides of her. She was normally a very calm, and go-getting type, afraid of little, and willing to charge head-on into the crowd.
But these Destroyers seemed to suck all life out of you… both physically and mentally.
She studied the skies, with a careful attention to detail, as she crouched behind the boulders that were scattered about the ground like small dents in the landscape. There were five of them. One of the Elite had been Pandemonia. The other had been killed by her. The rest, were hungrily devouring anything they could get their hands on, as the Destroyers.
At the moment, that was a handful of Legion, that the demons had released upon them, in order to get a close look, and rightly explain the situation to the three newcomers.
When she first had lain eyes upon them, she had thought it was a joke. After all, they simply looked like a black storm cloud, rumbling in the horizon. But the closer they had gotten, the clearer she had seen the truth of their beings.
The Destroyers were enormous. Their bulk easily spanned the size of a large pool. They were amorphous in nature, shifting with each turn of the wind, with no real set shape, but rather thick roiling bundles of black lightning, that sent rivets and tendrils out like large distorted jellyfish.
Once in a while, the amorphous form would shift, and for a brief moment, one could see the distorted shape of what had once been a demon body, vaguely represented in the gaseous mass, before it was consumed once more by the flickering tendrils of black energy that surrounded them.
Whatever they touched, turned to ash. She watched as Legion vanished, bug after bug. Boulders crumbled, as one of the tendrils gently brushed through it as if it were nothing, rending it asunder. If a large tendril caught something, that object was incinerated. If a smaller one touched it, it was simply cut in two, or pierced straight through.
They were too far away to get a closer look, but judging from the oppressive feeling that hung about Rosette at the moment, she dreaded taking even one step closer. They felt like pure fear, smothering, ominous, limb binding fear, that pierced through one's soul like a steel fired arrow. Even this far away, the fear was so great, that had Rosette not had a strong constitution, she would have fled in terror, right back through the gate.
But instead, she stood firm, staring with the others, as they watched the scene in the sky above them. She glanced to the side, sharing the boulder's shelter with her was Chrno, his eyes staring upwards as well, thoughtful and troubled. "What do you think?" She asked softly, something tugging on her mind again as she watched his troubled face.
"It will be tricky." He replied softly, lowering his gaze to meet hers. "Getting close enough to be able to do any damage with the Testament will be the key issue…"
Rosette nodded. "We have to go at only one of them. We can't have more than one nearby or that'll be the end of us. We need a distraction so we can focus on just one of those bastards."
"Leave that to us." Ion spoke quietly from the other side of a boulder not far from them. "We will provide enough of an incentive to draw their attention, while you two pick the last one out and attack it from behind. Will that suffice?"
Rosette pondered that and then nodded. "Chrno… you can get us close enough do you think?"
Her companions dark eyes lifted, studied the monstrous creature and narrowed slightly, then nodded firmly. "Yes. I will get you close enough, whatever the cost."
She frowned at that. What was with his sudden shift in mood? She had thought their talk earlier would have cleared up any further misunderstandings, but there was something that was still clearly bothering him. "Whatever the cost isn't good enough." She finally spoke up, glaring at him. "We'll get in, blast the hell out of it, and turn tail and run as fast, or rather fly as fast as we can."
He turned his head to glance at her, and a light smile passed over his face, and she relaxed a bit seeing that. "Yes ma'm."
She flashed him a bright grin. "Just set it on autopilot, and aim straight for it, pal. We'll figure it out as we go."
The group withdrew back a few paces, and encircled one another, as they softly began to talk about their strategies. Rosette spent the time while the demons planned, to load her gun, polish it, and oil it. She didn't want any jamming on this baby… that hesitation would likely bring their deaths if it happened. They were only going to have one shot at this, and she wasn't going to mess it up.
She watched as Dufou began to give instructions, drawing out intricate patterns in the dirt beneath them. Chrno and Ion watched the planning carefully, putting in their advice and suggestions as they outlined the moves they were to make. Finally, the group finished, and the demons began to prepare themselves, bringing out their bladed arms, powering up, and re-enforcing their armor… from what she had heard though, such things were useless against the Destroyers. A Destroyer's power simply absorbed and passed right through the demon defenses…. And being that they were far more powerful, their wounds they inflicted were more difficult for the demons to heal… hence why it was suicidal to go against one. They just didn't stand a chance.
Rosette glanced to the side, as she saw Chrno suddenly take Ion's arm, and pull him aside. Her brow furrowed suspiciously even more, when they both glanced her way, after Chrno said something. She felt her cheeks redden for a moment, before their gazes left her, and they returned to their private conversation. She saw Ion's face cloud over as Chrno said something, then his head tilted in a nod, and their hands clasped once in a tight grip, wrist to wrist.
What the heck's with them? She thought as she buckled the catch over her two guns, waiting as they headed back her way. She was about to ask, when Dufou interrupted her train of thought.
"Are you prepared?"
Chrno glanced down at her, and she blinked, realizing that everyone was now focused on her. She flushed darker, and stood straight, her shoulders square and held proudly. "I'm ready."
Dufou inclined his head to her, and she saw a brief flash of emotion for the first time on the Duke's face. Hope…? She felt her heart swell more. She wouldn't let them down. "Very well then. Good luck to you." With that said, he launched himself into the air, and his lackeys began to surround him, in a hovering formation.
Chrno turned to Rosette, and smiled warmly at her. "Whatever happens… I swear I'll keep you safe, Rosette." He held a hand out to her, a calm look of pride reflecting in his eyes as she gazed up at him.
She smiled, and took his hand, as he swept her up into his arms. "I know you will. Stop being so sentimental, sheesh. We'll do fine." She tapped his chest with a forefinger. "Just do what you do best, and I'll do what I do best, and it'll all work out."
He smiled again, and leaned forward suddenly, pressing his lips firmly onto her forehead, which surprised her greatly by the sudden impulse. As he pulled back, his eyes suddenly were filled with a deep sadness, which puzzled her. "You're right. It will work out." He quietly repeated her words, and looked as if he was about to say something else, then paused.
"What's gotten into you?" Rosette blinked up at him, not minding the sudden bout of affection, but….
He just smiled down at her. "Rosette…"
"Yeah?"
"Just remember one important thing."
"What?" Her tone turned slightly irritated.
Chrno snapped his wings wide open and with a rush of air, he vaulted upwards, causing her to gasp slightly since she had not been prepared for such an action. But as they swept upwards, his soft voice came clearly to her just the same. "You're precious to me… nothing can take the love I feel for you away.
Her jaw just about dropped, and she stared up at him, cheeks flushing a bit. In public! Geeze! The nerve of him!
But all sentimental thoughts were abruptly driven from her mind suddenly, when a loud echoing screech that absolutely rendered the air around them, like a sonic discharge, exploded from ahead of them.
Rosette clamped her hands to her ears, tears of pain coming to her eyes as she fought to block out the mighty roar that the Destroyers ahead of them had just unleashed, as the group of demons at Dufou's command, swept into view of the mighty beings.
Rosette forced herself to look, as Chrno pulled back, hovering in mid-air. They had to wait now… wait until the time was right, and they had a clear shot. Then, they would rush in and attack. Rosette's hands found the catches to the Testament guns, and latched onto them firmly.
Chrno's gaze lowered to hers, void now of any sentimental residue, instead lit with a cold dedicated fire of determination. They were in battle now, and couldn't afford to be distracted. "When they draw them away, we'll follow." He explained quickly to her, his gaze keen on watching the proceedings ahead of them. Ion could be seen darting in and out amongst them, a flash of white amidst gray and black. "I will give you the signal, and then we will rush in. No matter what…" His eyes lowered and met her own determined gaze. "No matter what… do not hesitate. Keep your aim true. I will tell you when we're close enough. Do not lower your guns at any time… I fully intend to get you close enough." His eyes softened a bit. "Once we are, fire, and like you said… We'll get in, blast the hell out of it, and turn tail and fly as fast as we can."
Rosette grinned widely. "Darn tootin." She brought the two guns up, and saluted him. "Ready to go, partner."
Both their eyes lifted, and they watched.
The demons were having a rough time of it. It was like a mass of bats, darting in and out of the clouds, but the clouds were fighting back. They dove, twisted, and spun out of reach from the black extensions of black voltage that curled around the Destroyers tighter the closer you got to them. She watched, heart jumping, as one of the demons was cut cleanly in two, with a scream of pain, and fell to the earth. More were being struck by the smaller tendrils of black power, and she could tell they were in pain, even as they dove out of the way.
Slowly, tediously, the five destroyers began to move towards the taunting demons, finding fresh power tempting, and of course what reason had they for worrying about a trap? They didn't think at all. The good thing was, they wouldn't remember if one of their numbers was destroyed by the holy bullet, thus making them all just as vulnerable.
Finally, Rosette felt Chrno's arms tighten around her. "Ready?" He asked quietly, glancing down at her swiftly. At her firm nod, his arms shifted. Instead of holding her scooped casually, he wrapped his arms fully around her waist, grasping her tightly to his chest, his spiny tail wrapping around her legs, supporting them so she would not slip if his grasp weakened. He took a deep breath, then his wings suddenly constricted tightly around him, and they shot forward, as he bent them to a more streamlined position, and powered their movement forward by pure astral energy.
They shot forward like a bullet, faster than she had ever gone before, and as her hands rose, gripping the two guns tightly in each hand in front of her, she had a hard time keeping the wind from whipping tears into her eyes. The scenery below was flashing by at an incredible rate, and the flashes of light off to the side from the fighting demons blurred in the corner of her vision.
All she could focus on was the looming mass of crackling energy directly in front of them, steadily growing larger.
The first tendril came into view abruptly, giving them almost no time to dodge, but Chrno went into a swift twist, as they sped by it feeling the heat of the crackling miasma they left behind. What followed was nearly enough to make her sick, worse than the roller coaster ride she had once been on long ago down at Coney Island. They dipped suddenly, then went into a spiraling twirl, and abruptly jerked upwards again, only to dive to the side, and then slam upwards once more. Rosette couldn't see how Chrno knew where to dive to, the crackling black energy was thick like brambles, an incredible maze, and speeding forward at the incredible rate they were, she had a new appreciation for his lightning quick reflexes.
Her teeth grit tightly, as her heart pounded wildly at her chest, eyes wide and not blinking as they shot forward…. Almost there…
Something hot, and wet struck her cheek, causing her to blink, and glance up in alarm, as the iron taste of blood trickled down into the corner of her mouth. Her heart clenched as she saw a deep flow of blood, running down the side of Chrno's head, from an unseen wound that was buried amidst his hair somewhere. "Chrno!"
He grit his teeth, but didn't dare blink, instead throwing himself to the side, as with a hiss of electricity, another tendril slammed into his shoulder. Rosette felt tears well up, but his voice snapped back sharply at her, even as she scanned him once, seeing to her horror that he was taking the full brunt of the blows, wings ragged behind him, arms sliced nearly to ribbons, face littered with deep gashes, the tip of his right ear in tatters. "Don't look away! Stay focused!"
Her gaze snapped back ahead of her, as the horror of what she'd done hit her. She couldn't be concerned selfishly with him! She had to stay focused… Chrno was blocking the tendrils from striking her, so that she could get a clear blow, with a clear mind free of pain. She had to stay focused!
She closed her eyes briefly, then slowly opened them, this time only hearing the intense beating of her heart in her ears, her eyes locked on the roiling mass before her, as her guns steadied, and the barrels locked directly on the center of the horrendous mass.
She felt a calm peace wash over her, as they drew nearer, until all she could see in front of her was a mass of blackness, expanding out like an ominous cloud of foreboding doom. Her duty. This was her duty, and she would not forsake it.
She heard Chrno's voice shouting over the roaring scream of blood pounding through her ears. It was time.. the time for hesitation was past. With a slight tense of her arms, she steadied them, and with a fierce cry of defiance and determination, she pulled both triggers at once with all the rage and anguish of years of pain pent up deep inside of her.
The twin orbs of light shot forward from the barrels, as Rosette felt the crushing pressure of the backlash slam into her, knocking her arms flat backwards across her chest. Time slowed for the longest of moments, as the twin orbs soared smoothly towards the darkness spread before them like a spider web den of midnight and death. Everyone's breath held, all action paused, as the bullets plowed directly into the center of the Destroyer.
The concussion that resulted upon impact was far greater than Rosette had been prepared for. A pulsing ripple of light, wind, and energy exploded out from the impact, and slammed straight into the two hovering a bare hundred feet from the epicenter. Rosette felt the crushing pressure bear down on her, smothering her lungs, and driving her body hard into Chrno's supportive arms behind her, as the two were blown backwards at a rate easily twice as swift as their arrival.
All she could hear, and all she could feel, was the blinding light surrounding them, and the roaring sound of the explosion that howled around them more deafening than the fiercest hurricane winds. Her life was suddenly enveloped with nothing but chaos, and the only thought that occupied her mind was the desperate plea that they had managed to at least take it down with them.
Then, abruptly, the world reached out and broadsided her, as everything resumed motion once more. Her breath came sharp as she felt it slam back into her, their acceleration decreasing slowly the farther away from the explosion they got. A jarring blow from behind snapped her mind back into place, as she realized that they weren't done just yet.
A choking gasp in her ear snapped her head back abruptly, the same time a lancing pain ripped through her.
A warm sensation, actually rather calming, flooded through her like hot needles, as her eyes slowly lowered, watching the black tendril of energy as it flowed slowly out of her abdomen, and continued on it's path away from them.
Somewhere in the dim recesses of her mind, she realized what had happened. But…with all the chaos, and with all the flowing of events around her, she couldn't really feel the pain… or the fear. Instead, she watched as crimson blood stained the white cloth at her belly slowly, almost like a painting. Something warm, and moist touched her cheek, and in a daze, she tilted her head up, and lay eyes upon the tear stained eyes of her beloved, gazing sadly down at her.
She smiled slowly, and raised a hand up to rest upon his cheek, brushing his tears with a thumb, and smearing the blood that ran down his face. "I'm sorry… Chrno." She said softly, a wistful tone of regret in her voice. "I only wish….we could have had… a little… more…. Time…."
Her eyes began to feel heavy… and she sighed softly, as she began to give in to the urge, to simply fall asleep.
It felt so nice…. So warm… so bright… She opened her eyes, and for the first time since she was a child… she could see them… smiling down upon her… arms extended… calling her name…. Mother… Father… It's been a long time…
Suddenly, the images of her parents hovering above her, shattered like an explosion of broken fragments of dreams.
She gasped, about to cry out in alarm, when her whole world was contorted with pain. A scream ripped from her throat, as she found herself being violently slammed back into reality with the force of a speeding vehicle.
Everything hurt.
Her eyes slammed open, and her breath came fast, short, and forced, as the pain in her chest intensified, and then began to tingle. It felt as if her gut were on fire… twisting and churning from the inside, knitting itself together, as a bright envelope of blue light wrapped itself around her like a constricting blanket.
Her head snapped back, as she was suddenly hit with the full impact of just what was happening… someone was healing her…
Someone… there was no one else here but…
Chrno….
Her blue eyes shot wide open, and she whipped her head around, fear clenching her heart as she turned her eyes upward, and saw his face, covered in sweat, eyes wide open, enveloped in a brilliant blue light that shone from the inside out like a radioactive element of instability.
"Chrno… NO!" Her voice ripped out of her throat instantly, and she ripped her hand free of it's frozen position at her side, the gun falling somewhere into the empty void beneath her, as she desperately reached towards the receptor at his chest, which was shut tight, sealed off from the watch, as his free hand gripped it in a death clench, preventing the holy flow from going into her, but instead, giving him access to it.
His face was heavily covered in blood and perspiration, but his smile was soft and gentle, even as she felt their speed increase, their altitude dropping faster and faster towards the distant earth below. "I'm sorry… Rosette… I had no choice…" His voice was barely above a whisper, as the frightened girl desperately clung to his neck, staring at him with complete shock. "I can't let you die…." As he trailed off, Rosette was stunned to see a wound in his chest, the same place hers had been… the tendril had passed straight through him, and into her… It struck a sudden painful and nostalgic memory in her head, which set her off into a furious rage.
"You IDIOT!" She gasped, grabbing handfuls of his hair on either side of his head, in a desperate attempt to wring some sense into him. "You can't use that power! It's… it's killing you! Stop it… stop it now!" Her voice cracked, just as she felt the last stab of pain lift from her, and vanish into nothingness once more, as the healing process completed, leaving her whole and healthy once more. Their descent dropping towards the earth below began to increase, as the blue light died around them slowly, and her desperation grew tenfold. "CHRNO!" She screamed right in his face, as his eyes slowly began to droop. "Don't do this to me! Come on, get a hold of yourself!"
He heard her, but even as she watched his wings extend in an attempt to stop their plummet, the black ribbons that were constantly swirling around them, dissolving into mist rapidly, wrapped themselves around his wings, shredding the membrane into ribbons, doing nothing to slow their plunge.
Tears flung from her eyes as she buried her head in his chest, feeling a sudden surge of desperation, as she clung to him, watching as his wounds did not heal, but seemed to spread as the holy energy he had used out of instinct to heal her, began to eat him alive. The idiot… he had risked everything for her… and in the end, he was determined to even go so far as to give his life for hers! It was….unacceptable!
Suddenly, a jarring impact sent her tumbling violently, and her hands, drenched with perspiration and blood, lost their hold on his shoulders, as she screamed in terror, and slipped away from him into the empty air beneath.
She could do nothing but watch. One of the black tendrils had snapped out, wrapping itself tightly around Chrno's arm and jerking him back towards the writhing mass they had left behind, as it boiled and churned, rivets of light shooting through it's mass, as it's defenses continued to break down. She watched in horror, as the tendril tightened, biting into his arm, and crushing it into dust slowly as he screamed, fighting it's grasp.
"CHRNO!!!!" his name ripped from her throat as she watched, helplessly, as his other hand came out stretching towards her desperately, even as the Destroyer lunged forward with it's limbs, entwining them around the demon. His screams bit through the air, as more black rivets of light shot out, entwining around him as the Destroyer fought to catch the one responsible for it's pain…
Her heart pounded violently in her chest, as for a long agonizing moment, their eyes met, both filled with tears, frozen in the split second that they shared, before it was violently broken once more.
With a rending of the air around them in a bellow of fury enough to send even the bravest of souls to their knees, the Destroyer wrenched at it's prey, and Rosette watched in terror, as Chrno's struggling form was enveloped in blackness, as the Destroyer dragged him into it's boiling mass, like a fly into the spider's lair.
"NOO!!!!!!!" The howl ripped from her throat in an agonizing cry of pain and anguish, as she felt a cold vise grip her heart, and squeeze it smotheringly, as if to strangle every bit of happiness from her she had ever contained.
A sudden collision behind her, threw her gaze away from the spot where Chrno had vanished, as strong arms wrapped around her chest, and caught her mid-air, then turned and reversed direction, even as she screamed in rage, biting, scratching, kicking, struggling to free herself, desperate to get back to him… she couldn't leave him! There was still a chance…!
But the arms were far stronger than her, held her fast, and she was forced to watch as the dwindling black mass behind them began to churn, and grow, more and more brilliant illumination shining from cracks that began to creep slowly up and along the length of it's amorphous body, as it's death blows became evident.
The explosion that followed was so intensely brilliant, that she couldn't be sure when it had faded, and when it had not… for her vision was so dazzled that she could see nothing, only feel the rush of the wind, and the shouts of desperation around her, as her stunned mind grasped desperately at the lingering hope deep inside that threatened to be consumed by grief.
"Hurry! The gate is collapsing!" A yell from ahead reached her ears as if crossing a deep and abominable chasm, and she heard Ion's deep voice rumbling from behind her head next to her, as he flew faster still carrying her tightly to him as they shot forward. "HURRY!"
They slammed into another wall of light, just as Rosette's vision was beginning to clear, but this time the light vanished quickly, as they exploded out of the gate into the Order Grounds like a whirlwind.
From the ground, the scene was somewhat different, if no less chaotic.
Remington was seated on the bench beside the workstation, where Sheda sat patiently watching the instruments for any sign of change to the glowing portal before them. It had been several hours, and by this time they were prepared with Militia standing by for any sign of change.
Waiting was tedious… but what followed next was far worse.
Without warning, all of the needles on Sheda's indicators slammed to their fullest position just as the gate's light began to fluctuate, and crackle with energy, sending rivets out into mid-air, as the gate surged brilliantly with white and green energy, driving everyone to their feet, in time to watch several figures emerge, speeding through at top speed, one after another, until the last figure shot through, just as the gate began to warp, distort, and hiss with a loud crackle and pop of electricity.
All the Militia, Remington, Sheda, and the others gathered around the gate, were suddenly blown back, as an enormous explosion rocked the gardens, sending them flying backwards into walls, hedges, and trees, flattening the landscape as white hot metal shrapnel began to rain down around them.
Remington shoved himself to his elbow, from a sprawled position on the ground some distance away, and stared upwards at the hissing pile of debris that lay scattered about the grounds. "My god…"
"Oh no… oh no…" Sheda whimpered, as she scurried to her feet a short distance away. "Chrno? Ion? Rosette?"
At first, Remington feared the worst had happened, and the explosion had caught some people in it's wake… but then, he saw two familiar figures laying not far from the gate, and instantly surged to his feet, running up to their sides.
Ion was already pushing himself up, blood running down the side of his face, and staining his short white hair a dark hue, pulling the shattered pair of glasses from his nose, as he lifted his gaze to meet the priests'.
"Rosette..?! Is she…?" Remington's gaze locked down at the blonde girl laying still on the ground next to the demon. His heart clenched in fear, as he saw blood stained all over her garments, in an amount that did not speak well for her health.
Ion's gaze lowered to the girl, and then back up at the priest, with a heavy expression of pain visible in his violet eyes. "She's uninjured…however…" His voice trailed off with a heavy tone of regret.
Remington's blood froze, as he glanced slowly around, realizing just then, who was missing. "Where is Chrno?"
Ion's eyes closed slowly, and he shook his head heavily once, as genuine tears began to fill, and spill over.
Remington's breath slowly let out, as he felt his knees suddenly go weak, nearly bringing him down. It…can't be…. His mind swirled with a pressure that seemed to swell his chest tightly closed, as he gazed down at Sheda as she rolled the young woman over to check for injuries.
The grief-stricken expression written plainly on Rosette's stunned unconscious face, spoke volumes.
At her chest, the gold timepiece glittered dully in the afternoon light, stained dark with dried blood, that was not her own.
An oppressive fog hung deeply about the Magdale Order, as a deep silence echoed through every hall, every room, and throughout the grounds. Not a single word was spoken louder than a small whisper, as Sisters passed one another in the halls, tending their duties, and the injured as they were bound to do.
No smile passed over a single face, no laughter reigned in the halls.
All was still, in a respectful silence.
Kate Valentine slowly sat down at her desk, hands clasped before her, eyes wide, and damp as she fought to contain herself, out of respect for those she sat before.
"Are… you certain?" Her gaze lifted slowly to the demon standing before her, meeting his gaze with her own stunned one. "There's no possible way he could have…?"
"No…" Ion's voice was heavy, and muted, as he placed both hands flat on her desk, bracing himself against it for support. "Everything is consumed and destroyed… there is no chance anyone could survive such a thing…"
Her lips pressed together, as she placed a hand to her chest, feeling the ache of pain tug at her heart. "How… is Rosette handling it…?"
"Not well." Ion said flatly, slowly putting a hand to the side of his head, where bandages were wrapped around, stained lightly from the wound beneath that he had sustained, and was fighting to heal. "I'm not sure she will be able to get past it, either…"
"No…" Kate whispered. "I can understand why. Whatever shall we do…?"
"We will do what we can." Remington spoke gently, putting a supportive hand on her shoulder, looking as somber as the others, his blue eyes struck with sadness. "It's the least we can do for him."
"Chrno…" Kate closed her eyes, heavy regret filling her heart. "…may you find happiness and peace…"
Azmaria Hedrick hesitated before the medical ward, hand raised to tap lightly, but not touching the wood door, as she bit her lip which threatened to tremble uncontrollably the more she thought about what weighed on her mind.
It just wasn't fair.
Why did Fate have such a cruel hand in life? Those she had come to know, all had suffered greatly… why was it that they were all deemed to live such sad existences, especially when finally happiness had been within reach?
She choked, and lowered her head against the door frame, as hot tears splashed down onto her collar, as she could not hold the torrent inside her any longer.
A soft hand at her shoulder caused her to glance up, and meet eyes with Joshua, whose own blue orbs were shot through with red as well, indicating he too had been mourning. "J…Joshua…"
"Come on…" He spoke softly, embracing her tightly once. "Be strong.. for her sake…"
"Y…yes…" She wiped the tears from her eyes, and stood taller, realizing he was right.
With a slow push, she slid the door open, and glanced inside at it's lone occupant.
Rosette sat on the bed, before the window, drenched in sunlight, her back to them, and head lowered slightly. The atmosphere inside was deathly quiet, even the birds outside of the window had the reservation not to make any cheerful conversation this morning. She sat cross legged on her bed, with her gaze locked on the precious timepiece clutched in her hands, her blue-eyed gaze locked on it with a vacant stare of empty hope.
As Azmaria and Joshua approached, her head lifted slowly, and she fixed them with that empty stare, which sent fresh jolts of sadness through each of them.
"I keep trying to open it…." Her voice was oddly monotone, and empty sounding, as she raised the clock carefully in her hands, and showing them, as she pulled the release, and the device snapped open. "But… it seems broken." Indeed, the cheerful glow that normally lit the center piece, was no longer evident. The clock sat dormant, and cold in her hands. "Do you think Sheda can fix it?"
Azmaria's lower lip trembled again. "Rosette… don't do this to yourself…"
Rosette just smiled sadly at them, her attempt to be cheerful painfully transparent. "What? I'm sure everything's ok, right… I mean, maybe it just doesn't work through our two realms.., that must be it…"
Joshua lowered his eyes, and turned his head aside, scowling faintly. "Neesan… please…"
"No, it's ok." Rosette lowered her hands, and smiled again, her voice eerily calm. "I know there's an explanation. I just have to wait here, and he'll come walking… w…walking… .t…through….the door…." Her voice began to choke up, and the two youths standing beside her bed knew that she wasn't as delusional as they had feared… she was simply in denial. "He'll… he'll come back. He's come back before… when I had to go find him…in his memories… and when he fought Ion… he'll be back this time too, I know it."
"Rosette…."
"After all… he promised to protect me…"
"Rosette…!!!"
"And now we can be together for as long as we want…"
"ROSETTE!!" Joshua couldn't stand it anymore, and took a step forward, grabbing a firm hold of both of her slumped shoulders, and wrenching her upright to look him straight in the face. "He's NOT coming back this time! Stop doing this!"
For the longest moment, there was a tense silence, as Rosette slowly raised her eyes to meet her brother's, and then put a soft hand over his, and smiled once, but this time with a true glimpse into her aching heart. "I know… I know that, Joshua… but… I just don't want to believe it." She lifted her eyes towards the sky, watching the clouds drifting by in the clear blue sky. "I keep thinking… if I wish for him hard enough, he'll just appear…" She shifted her gaze back down to the clock in her hand, and then her whole body slumped, and she collapsed into Joshua's arms, sobbing. "Why… why did this happen… It's not fair…."
"Life, is never fair." A soft voice from behind them spoke up, causing all three children to turn. Ion stood in the doorway, his tall frame silhouetted strangely in the sunlight, as he approached towards the bed, eyes vacant and staring out through the window. "Life is full of choices, Rosette." His eyes shifted down to meet her tear-stricken ones. "And Chrno made his choice… to save your life."
"It didn't have to happen this way…" She whispered, staring up at the demon with an almost desperate look. "There must have been something else we could have done…"
Ion sighed, and slowly sat down on the bed beside her. Joshua and Az watched him with uncertain looks, but did not back off even as he reached forward and scooped Rosette's hand into his own. "There was no choice in the matter Rosette. One of you was destined to fall. Chrno knew this, and he chose to make the sacrifice, so that you would live."
Her eyes snapped up, sharp suddenly. "Knew…? What do you mean?"
Ion gazed deeply into her eyes, his own searching for any sign of recognition, but when he found none, he smiled faintly. "I see… he never told you then."
"Told me what?" she snapped, her irritation overwhelming her grief as she struggled to understand what it was he was telling her.
Ion's eyes looked distant. "Rosette… you seem to have forgotten one of the important properties of the young Saint whom Chrno joined souls with." At her confused blink, he continued in a gentle voice. "One of the reasons that I had sought Mary Magdalene when we were younger, was for her special ability… the ability that the Magdale Order had jealously guarded, locked up in a vault, and covered all evidence of it's passing. The ability to catch glimpses of the possibilities to come." Her eyes slowly began to widen. "Yes… you recall now?" He shook his head. "Ever since she had been a child, Magdalena, had been gifted, or cursed, with visions, glimpses into other people's lives…premonitions and precognitions.
"It was one of these, that became known as the Prophecy of Magdalena." His eyes glazed over. "What is in that prophecy is only known to those in the Roman capital…and I can only surmise given my experience, that it somehow relates to everything that we have been through together, good and bad."
He put a hand over hers, and squeezed once, locking gazes with her, and drawing her into his intense violet hues, eyes that had once been rumored to be more ferocious than the most violent of tempests, now were as soft as the lilac planted below in the garden. "Before we went into battle, Chrno pulled me aside and swore me to a promise. Whatever happened, I was to make sure you returned unharmed. I asked him what he had in mind, and he simply shook his head to me, and told me this… for the past several days, he had been seeing the same scene play out in his mind, over and over…he saw the destruction of the battle… and our failure. He saw deaths of the ones he cared most for, and his own." Ion lifted his hand as he cradled Rosette's. "He knew what was going to happen, Rosette. Magdalena cursed him with that aspect of her gift as well. But as we well know… premonitions and precognitions are never set in stone. Magdalena was surprised when her own vision of her death was not accurate as she had first seen… Chrno altered their fate by being unfortunate enough to fall in love with her. He was determined not to let things happen the way he had seen they would. And for that reason, he gave his life for yours."
Ion sighed. "Do you see now, Rosette? While we can mourn his loss, we must also focus on what he's given you. If it's one thing that the incredible fool did, it's the fact he never once thought of himself." Ion sighed and shook his head with a faint smile. "He was predictably faultlessly a soft hearted fool to the end."
"He wasn't a fool." Rosette spoke quietly, rubbing her thumb over the plating of the clock. "He was a generous and kind person…he didn't deserve this."
"He deserved what he got." Ion said firmly, causing her to look up sharply at him. Instead, he simply lifted her chin with two fingers. "What he got was something that I must say I do feel slightly jealous missing… he got to experience the human aspect and great dignity of love… You should be proud."
A slow smile crossed her face. "I am."
In all of history, there had never been such a procession such as this one.
The time when a church could be filled with both demons, humans, and those with holy blessings endowed upon them, would likely never be seen again, as those whom had known Chrno, sat together in the front row, in silence.
The cathedral was decorated splendidly with sprays of lilies and colorful veins of flowers, that brightened the entire interior as sunshine spilled down from the stained glass above. Soft music from the choir and organ filled the silence, that otherwise was reverent and respectful, as all eyes rested upon the front dais before them.
There wasn't much they could give as a tribute to represent his person, but what they had seemed simple enough, and yet still poignant. A single photograph, taken long ago at a carnival sat atop the mahogany table lined with sprays of flowers, and two candles lit amidst them.
The only other object that sat as tribute to the Order's most unique resident, was a single headband, folded gently and placed with honor beside the photograph.
Rosette sat muted, her eyes locked on the display before her. She couldn't feel the pain anymore… to her, it was as if everything had finally emptied her soul of feeling. She could only watch, and feel emptiness.
To her side, Azmaria, Joshua and Stella sat, each paying their respects in their own ways, be it with tears, a prayer, or a favored memory. To her opposite side, sat the row of five demons, whom had been honored to call Chrno their comrade, and brother. Tears were fewer on that side, but the long faces were none the less displayed. Even Sheda's normally perked ears, were drooped down low in mourning.
Surveying the whole scene from the front, Kate and Remington both spoke their pieces, but their warm words fell upon deaf ears to Rosette, who refused to acknowledge anything around her, as she sat, eyes locked in place, glazed over.
What do I do now…? What is my life worth? I have nothing more to gain now…everything I have ever wanted, has just been ripped away from me by force. Why, God? Why do you torment me so?
Her eyes closed slowly, then re-opened, only to find she was seated in the cathedral, exactly the same place, but completely alone.
She blinked, and glanced around her. Where was everyone? The music had stopped, and only a soft echoing silence reflected her own breathing back at her. She slowly stood, and with a hand gripping the pew in front of her, she made her way to the front, where the memorial table stood, before pausing directly in front of it, and staring down at it, with a blank empty hollow feeling inside of her.
"Chrno…I can't do this alone. Not without you."
"You're so quick to give up!" A cheerful voice from behind her startled her into action, as she whirled around, her hair spinning loose from it's black tie, to whip about her cheek stingingly.
Her jaw dropped open, at the sight of Chrno, leaning casually against the pew she had just vacated, a bright smile on his cheerful face, as he stood there casually in his child human guise, wearing a nice shirt and pants, and a long brown coat whose pockets he had his hands stuffed in casually, as his braid fell over his back, hanging casually.
"C…chrno!?" She gasped for breath, pressing her hand against the clock at her chest. "This…is a dream…" She realized slowly, the aching loneliness setting in slowly after her shock had chased it off.
"Yes, it is." He replied calmly, still smiling. "But then, since when has that ever stopped you. This isn't like you, Rosette. Aren't you the one always telling other people to never give up? Cry when you want to cry, laugh when you want to laugh, scream when you want to scream… Isn't that what you told Azmaria? And yet you still don't follow your own advice."
She lowered her gaze. "Yes… you're right of course… but somehow… it just all seems worthless without you."
"Hah!" she blinked at his exclamation, and almost took a step back as he approached towards her, until they were nose to nose. "You're so quick to give up at the first sign of trouble." His finger came up and tapped her nose lightly. "Didn't I promise that I would always be here for you?"
"Yes… but… now you're…" She trailed off slowly.
He leaned forward even closer, standing up on his toes in order to do so, and pressed the tip of his nose to hers, staring directly into her eyes with his own deep ruby ones. "Rosette… don't give up just yet. You've come too far to let this stop you. Have a little faith."
She blinked, and stared back at him, then closed her eyes as a shock of surprise flooded through her. He was right… here she was mourning over him like some kind of pathetic child, and there was so much more she should be doing… she had a duty to fulfill, and a promise to keep…
She smiled back at him, and nodded, eyes still closed. "I understand…" She slowly lifted her head again, and to her surprise, she found Azmaria, Joshua, and some other familiar faces hovering in front of her vision, concerned expressions lighting their faces.
"What do you understand, Rosette?" Joshua asked, a look on his face clearly that said he was doubting her sanity.
She blinked, and lowered her gaze sharply down to the clock gripped tightly in her palm, as she felt a sudden warmth surge from it into her palm. Had it been her imagination? Or had she really spoken to him…
Her gaze lifted to the shining stained glass window, with it's light pouring down in streams of gold, purple, green, and pink. A slow smile spread across her face.
I understand, Chrno. I won't waste my precious time any longer…The sadness inside of her heart didn't grow any lighter, but the empty feeling slowly dissolved, as she allowed herself to finally accept the situation, and move forward…
It would be hard to live without him…
But it seemed she had no choice.
She closed her eyes, bowing her head once more, and clasped both hands around the pocket watch embraced in her palms, and burst into tears, allowing her grief to finally spill out undaunted, and fill her with intense aching for the one she loved.
Everyone's eyes were on Rosette, filled with pity, sadness, and understanding as they watched her rock back and forth, tears dripping slowly down onto the golden plated device clutched in her hands, that gleamed dimly in the light, with a glitter of green…
Author's note: deep breath Yikes. Nuff said. I surprise even myself sometimes.