Demons Etc.
Chapter Three: Third Time's the Charm
Authors new note: Good grief... you mean... she lives? Oh yes. Fear me. I'm retouching this fic, almost 4 years after I started it. Forgive me, real life problems, lack of inspiration and stuff got in the way, but... I'm back! Look for changes and complete revisions after Chapter 6! I'm touching up a few things each chapter, then re-working it completely starting with Magdalena's scene. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Moriyama-sensei does. Blame him!
The call came in the middle of the night, when Rosette had been fast asleep. But the slamming of the door promptly threw her awake, as Chrno wrenched it open, standing in the hallway, light spilling out around him brilliantly into the darkened room. "Rosette! Get up. We're heading out."
"Uh… wha?" She glanced at the clock, and saw it read 3 am. "So early…? What's wrong? Where are we going?"
"To Las Vegas." The detective replied, with a sigh. "Apparently our help is required there after all. Our plane leaves in thirty minutes. Pack quickly."
She blinked, not certain what to make of that, but didn't waste time in dragging herself out of bed, and throwing a few things in a bag, dressing, and dragging herself out into the main foyer, where the two detectives were busy loading weapons into bags.
"Geeze… too early." She yawned, as they made their way down to the garage, everyone looking rather groggy and too tired to be up this early. "Couldn't they handle it themselves?"
Within their time limit, they made their flight, and were soon zooming across country, on their way to Nevada… it would be a long flight, and Rosette was glad for the opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep, as the other two also decided to do.
Several long hours later, Rosette was peering out the window at the vast strip of land beneath them, as their plan touched down in Las Vegas.
The hot wind was harsh against her cheeks, as she had been used to the rather mild cool weather of early fall in New York… here, it was just HOT. "Gah…air conditioning… quick…." She muttered, dying for a cold drink as they piled into a taxi, heading towards the hotel they would be staying at. "How can anyone LIVE like this… gawdaweful place if you ask me."
Remington chuckled, but was drawing a folder out to look at, as Chrno yawned, and rubbed his eyes, looking drained for some reason. "It'll be better at night… we have to wait until then anyway, since we have to locate where the Sisters are being held fist."
They went over the situation as they loaded their belongings into the hotel. Azumaria, the singer, was the adopted daughter of Ricardo Hendrick, the owner of a very wealthy casino. Apparently, some sisters had approached him to ask about his daughter's strange abilities that had been reported, and had gone missing. Since there was no Order headquarters out here, they had been asked to investigate, as there was some question whether Ricardo was involved in demonic practices.
So, it was later that night, when Rosette felt very silly indeed, wearing a glamorous evening gown, on the hand of a well dressed Remington's elbow, that they made their way into the casino. "So…are you sure we can't do a little gambling?" She asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously at the slot machines that lined the walls on either side. "While we're here.. right?"
"Rosette…" Remington laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "There will be another time, trust me. Right now, we should find where our subjects are."
Rosette pouted a bit, but said nothing, instead enjoying swinging her hips in the long dress, though the weight of the gun pressing into her legs between her thighs was somewhat disconcerting.
Chrno was off somewhere infiltrating the higher levels, looking for any clues to the missing Sisters, while they were supposed to locate Ricardo, and his daughter. So far, they had managed to scour the hotel, and come up empty handed, until Rosette had noticed a very faint melodious voice coming from one of the closed amphitheater rooms.
Together, they slipped within, and beheld the scene beneath. Sure enough, a young woman, and a tall man standing beside a grizzled figure in a wheelchair were situated on the bottom floor.
"So…that's them, eh?" Rosette squinted down, frowning at the tall man. Something odd was about him…he just struck her as…strange.
"Beautiful voice, isn't it…" Remington murmured, as they listened to Azumaria sing. "Such a song…it must be something special…"
"Right…" she muttered, not really finding the point to it.
They watched from hiding, as the group dispersed below them, and they decided to separate in order to find out more. Remington trailed after Ricardo, while Rosette carefully sneaked up several floors, to the Hendrick's private floors, trying to see if she could get a closer word with Azumaria.
She never got the chance, however, as an explosion rocked the entire building. "Crap!" She threw her arms around a support, as the lights flickered, and she saw a brilliant flash from outside the window she stood next to. Her eyes darted that way, just as a flash of something large, dark, and sinister rushed by.
Her heart caught, as she pressed her face to the glass, and got a clearer look…
A demon…
In fact… the SAME demon she'd seen that starry night, a few days ago!
Her mouth fell open, and a confused curse came out of her mouth. What the heck….? It couldn't be the SAME one… it had to be one who just looked alike…
But then, she'd never seen a demon that looked identical to another…
Another explosion rocked the building, and Rosette decided as tempting as trying to see the demon was, being next to a window was NOT a good idea…
She ran into the main hall, and slammed face first into another girl, coming the other direction. "Argh!" Her bottom slapped the carpet hard, as she rubbed he forehead, blinking over as she realized who she'd just smashed into. "Oh, good grief, I'm sorry!"
The pale-haired young singer slowly sat up, blinking with wide eyes, before another explosion rocked the whole corridor, and they were suddenly plunged into complete darkness, as the sound of shattering glass and the feel of warm dry air rushed in at them as the window Rosette had been standing at moments before, erupted in shards of light, as something dark, massive, and with glowing red eyes crashed into it.
The young singer screamed, and Rosette gasped, but kept her wits about her, and didn't wait to see what it was that had just burst into their corridor. Instead, she grabbed Azumaria's hand, and tugged on her sharply, pulling her down the corridor opposite the damage. "Come on, hurry!"
The two girls ran top speed, only to find themselves quickly at a dead end, with only a door beyond. Rosette didn't hesitate, but slammed her foot into the door, and rushed inside. They were in a stairwell, with thick black smoke rising up it's center. She glanced up, and noticed the stairs ended only one flight up. "Come on! Hurry! There's bound to be a ladder down at the top!" She rushed up the steps, and heard the gasping breath of the young girl behind her, as she burst out onto the roof, panting for breath from the thick smoke that choked her lungs.
The roof was quiet and still, and there was almost no sign of the battle and damage raging below. Rosette turned to the young girl, and smiled warmly. "Hey, since we never properly introduced one another…" She held a hand out. "Rosette Christopher…"
The young girl smiled wanly, and took her hand tentatively. "Azumaria… Hendrick… Please, don't tell anyone you saw me!" She said quickly, changing the subject as she clasped desperately onto Rosette's hand. "I've been trying to escape for ever… now is the perfect time… please…"
Rosette blinked, not sure what to make of that, but feeling pity for the young girl. From what Remington had told her, she couldn't blame her for wanting to run away. "Hey, no sweat… I'll help you out.." She grinned saucily, and winked her direction. "After all, I'm a pro exorcist…"
"An… exorcist?" Azumaria's eyes were wide and surprised. "Why are you here then?"
"We were actually asked to find some people here… who were sent to talk to you, actually. A bunch of nuns."
Azumaria's eyes widened in recognition. "They came a few days ago. They were very nice people… what happened?"
"They disappeared, is what happened." Rosette walked out further onto the roof, the hot night air blowing her dress around her ankles wildly. "We were hoping to find them here…but so far…"
Azumaria lowered her eyes, a very worried look reflecting in them. "I don't know… my father doesn't let me in on much that goes on around here…"
"Aw, that's okay. We'll find em… once we figure out what in the nine hells is going on here!" Rosette peered over the edge of the hotel's roof, and saw smoke billowing out from the side of the building they had been on. "I swear…I saw something that worries me."
"Ah!" A startled cry alarmed her, and she whipped around to see the tall man appear out of the shadows, looking none too pleased.
"My lady…so here is where you have gone to."
"Relaie!"
Rosette frowned more. It was the guy that had creeped her out…he just wasn't normal.
He completely was ignoring her, and had his arm locked firmly around Azumaria's wrist. "It's time to go. It's no longer safe up here… unfortunately an old enemy has the most unfortunate timing…"
"Hey, moron. Let her go." Rosette yelled abruptly, realizing she couldn't just let this guy take the poor frightened girl away. Not after all this. "Back off slowly, pal." Her gun was aimed straight at the two, and didn't waver…how long could she bluff this though? Surely he'd know she wouldn't fire with Azumaria there.
Relaie's gaze narrowed, and Rosette had the sudden eerie feeling that he was summing her up. "A holy gun. How extraordinary. You must be with Him then…ironic." His cold smile was devoid of any emotion as he stared flatly at her. "You won't fire that weapon, girl. Not with the Apostle here."
Apostle?"You're right." Came an even cool voice from the shadows directly behind the two, startling even Rosette, as a shining gun's barrel appeared out of nowhere, reflecting the moon's light eerily.
Rosette's heart lept, as she saw the familiar face of her employer materialize from the shadows, his ruby eyes narrowed and intent, no longer cheerful and friendly, as the gun's barrel leaned against the back of Relaie's head. "Let her go."
"Che… Chrno…" Relaie growled low, releasing his grip on the young woman, who ran quickly towards Rosette, clinging to her arm with wide frightened eyes. "Finally we meet again. Have you sunk so low as to use these tasteless weak methods to fight me?"
"They work." Chrno's voice was cold, and sent shivers down Rosette's spine, as she watched, frozen, as the two stood off against one another. "And I see you've regressed to using a contractor to boost your power."
"No thanks to you…" The hatred in the man's voice was clear, even from this distance with the dark of the night separating them. "So. Do you plan to kill me right here then, Chrno? Firing upon me when I am unable to challenge you? What a cowardly thing to do…unlike the fearsome terror I once fought."
Rosette's eyes widened faintly, not sure what to make of that. Relaie made it sound as if Chrno had been a cold-blooded killer…
But, Chrno obviously took the hint, and the gun lowered, leaving the back of Relaie's head, allowing the tall man to turn slowly to face his opponent, who stepped out of the shadows, long coat billowing in the hot night wind, as the gun was clutched tightly in one hand. "I'll never stoop so low as to mimic your methods. Those gargoyles you unleashed on me were a pain enough." He replied evenly. "Give up your pursuit, Marquis."
Relaie's gaze narrowed intently. "And relinquish the hatred and rage that has fueled my revenge ever since the day you disgraced me before the whole of Pandemonium!? You are more of a fool than I thought."
"A fool who has the upper hand." Chrno replied, turning away from the tall man, and walking towards Rosette with even steps. "We're taking her with us."
Relaie remained silent, his cold gaze watching as Chrno put a comforting hand on Rosette's shoulder. "You two okay?" At her nod, and Azumaria's wide-eyed gaze, he smiled lightly. "There's an escape ladder off on the west side of the building. Go on, I'll catch up."
Rosette glanced back at Relaie's angry figure, and peered up at her boss with some concern. "You'll be okay with him?"
"We have some business to finish up, I won't be long. Remington is waiting below with the ammunition. He found the Sisters, go ahead and head back to the hotel, pick up our things, and we'll go back to the airport."
"Right." Rosette put a supportive arm around Azmaria, and gently led the girl towards the west side, as she watched Chrno turn back to face Relaie, putting the gun back in his pocket as he did so. What was between those two? And Relaie had mentioned Pandemonium… Chrno had disgraced him… did that mean the tall man who had been Azumaria's ward was a demon of some sort? That made sense, considering how many strange things had gone on tonight… still, it didn't explain why she'd seen the same demon she'd seen before…
Crawling down the escape ladder took forever… and on the way, Rosette kept glancing up for some sign that Chrno was following them, but never once saw a form descending. What she did see, was a few bright flashes of light from the roof, and another explosion, that made her suddenly worry that more was going on that might require her help.. but he'd given her an order, and she would carry it out.
She reached the ground, and helped Azumaria down, as Remington jogged their way, the car parked not far off, where several women were sitting inside, all looking exhausted, and frightened.
"You found her, excellent. Have you seen Chrno?" the tale blond man offered a hand to the tired young singer, and peered at Rosette with evident concern in his eyes.
"Yeah..he's back on the roof." Rosette lifted her eyes toward the high rise, squinting up. There were no explosions up there any longer. "He seemed to know that Relaie guy."
"Relaie?" Remington blinked, and looked taken aback. "So…." He mused, a frown on his face. "That's who that was… no wonder."
"Um right… how about you fill me in later." Rosette hitched her dress up and slid into the car's front seat. "Chrno said he'd catch up later… but are you sure he'll be okay? I mean, maybe we should go back up and help him…"
Remington shook his head swiftly. "No, he'll be fine on his own. He's a far more adapt at dealing with these kinds of things. He and Relaie go far back…and from what I know of him, Relaie is no match for Chrno."
Rosette frowned at that, a bit surprised, but said nothing as Remington started the car, and they began to speed off down the strip, away from the hotel.
It didn't take them long to reach the hotel, pack their belongings, and then speed onwards to the airport. By the time they reached there, however, Rosette was quite surprised to see Chrno waiting for them at the bottom of the plane's stairs.
"How on earth…?" She started to ask, but Chrno simply held a hand up, smiling at her, interrupting her question.
"Everyone here? Good, let's get going."
The plane was definitely more crowded with the additional five people, but there was still enough seats for everyone. Rosette changed into something more comfortable as they took off, and slipped into a seat next to Azumaria, who was staring out the window with bright eyes, looking amazed at everything around her. "Hey, how you holding up?"
Azmaria smiled brightly, and turned back towards her, tears brimming on her wide eyes. "Rosette… you have no idea how wonderful it is to be finally away from that awful place…"
The young woman smiled a bit, and felt sympathetic for the young singer. "That bad, huh?"
She nodded lightly, clasping her hands before her with a small smile. "Yes… you see, I never felt at home with them…I miss my real family."
Rosette felt more sympathy well up. Azumaria's real family had all been dead for a long time, according to the information they'd been given. The young singer had been living with her adoptive father ever since he took her away from a troupe of singers…who incidentally also were all dead now. There was a heavy air of mystery that hung around the girl, and if Rosette didn't know any better, it would have appeared the girl was cursed.
Her thoughts turned to Relaie, as their course turned them back towards New York, and Azumaria eventually fell asleep in her seat. Remington snoozed with his hat over his head, and Chrno was reclining in another seat, a book in his hands as he propped his feet up on the adjacent seat. Relaie… who was he to Chrno? The fact the man had creeped her out, concerned her… and Chrno had mentioned he'd set gargoyles loose on him… Such a man either had very strong ties to demonic origins, or himself was a demon, she was certain.
Well, either way, she wasn't going to find anything more by just sitting here.
She yawned, and leaned her head back, deciding to take a snooze in the meantime.
Upon their return, they made a stop-over at the Magdalene Order once more, to make their reports, and drop Azumaria off. It didn't take long, as Chrno had spent the majority of the flight back writing up the paperwork, so they wouldn't have to stay an unnecessary amount of time.
The young singer was glad to be in a safe place, but professed her desire to see Rosette again sometime, so the cheerful young exorcist promised she'd make a habit of stopping by.
Which is what she was doing at the moment!
It had been a slow week, and they hadn't gone out more than a handful of times on calls, so she had been feeling restless. What was the answer? Go hit a night on the town, of course!
The guys had no problem with her taking the car out to do as she pleased, as long as she was responsible for it. They didn't want to have to buy parts for it if she ran it into a wall. She'd been firmly told if she broke it, she'd be paying for the repairs. But such things didn't bug her in the least, as she grinned cheerfully, pulling to a stop outside a nice café overlooking Central Park.
"Wow, isn't this great?" Rosette sat down in the seat, stretching, watching as the sun sank on the horizon, leaving the park bathed in gold, orange, and reds. "I'll bet you've not seen stuff like this before, huh Azu?"
The pale-haired girl smiled warmly, sipping her tea as she watched the scenery slip by. "No… not like this. I don't remember much of my homeland, but I imagine it must have been very pretty, like here."
Rosette peered over at Azumaria, and looked thoughtful. "Well, now that you're here, you might as well enjoy what you can, right?"
"Right!" She smiled brightly, and nodded. "Though I'd much rather stay closer to you, Rosette… I don't really know anyone at the Order… they're all very nice, but…"
"Nah, you wouldn't wanna live with us. The guys are slobs, nice but slobs…" She chuckled. "I've got to clean up for them half the time. You should have seen their faces when I forced them to organize the office this week. It looked as if the world was going to end. I had them dusting the ceiling fans all day, and by the end of it, you wouldn't recognize the office. It looks rather respectable now."
Azumaria giggled. "You did all that? They must really appreciate you."
"Yeah I guess…." Rosette trailed off, and her cheeks suddenly flushed.
They sat in some silence, as their meal came, and they then dug in, happily chatting, and getting to know one another better. Rosette learned that Azumaria had always been in love with singing, as it made her feel calm, and peaceful, taking her away from the painful places she often found herself in. She had been on the move since before she could remember, and the only happy moments she shared were ones with family and friends, of whom she was in short supply.
Rosette, on the other hand, didn't share her own goals with the young girl. After all, she hadn't told anyone about her brother… that was something she kept to herself, and herself alone.
The two were quickly becoming chatty friends, and by the end of their meal, they decided to take a walk in the park. It was the perfect evening for it, cool, but not yet chilly. The fall was dragging on, and not turning into winter in a hurry, and they'd had a hot spell recently, making it quite enjoyable to walk about in the evening.
Of course, someone should have warned Rosette that walking around after dark in Central Park, especially two females alone, wasn't a good idea…especially when being hunted.
The shadow crossed the moon as the two girls strolled by the pond, and caused them both to glance up, alarmed. What they saw surprised them both. Floating high above, an ominous cloud of darkness, was the largest blimp Rosette had ever seen… why it hadn't drawn attention before now, she had no idea, but whatever the case, the sudden shimmer of light in front of them, caused her to whip her gun out swiftly.
The fact that Relaie appeared out of nowhere just further confirmed her suspicions that the man wasn't a normal guy. The soft green light that bathed around him as he materialized out of thin air, sent shivers up her spine, as Azumaria clung tighter to her arm in fear.
"My lady. Finally we've found you." His voice came across cold and very dangerous, as he slowly approached towards them. "Now, if you please." His hand extended towards them slowly. "Come without a fuss."
Rosette's grasp on her weapon tightened dangerously, as she realized they were suddenly in a very dangerous situation, with no one to save them this time. "Back of, buster. This time I ain't got a reason not to shoot you."
His thin-lipped smile irritated her more, as he slowly walked forward, ignoring her threat. "You are Chrno's lackey, aren't you girl… tell me, what would drive a girl like you to aim such a gun at myself, and not your colleagues?"
"They ain't half as creepy as you, pal."
He smiled darkly, and suddenly she felt the presences of beings behind her, and her head whipped around, realize they were surrounded. "Now… lower your gun my dear, unless you wish to die. We would not harm the Apostle, but you are expendable…"
Rosette felt fear grip her heart. Expendable… well it was true. They were after Azu… not her… but she couldn't just abandon her friend… Her grip tightened.
"Rosette… please don't." Azumaria's voice was quiet, and sad at her elbow, but firm, as her wide eyes looked up pleadingly at her friend. "I'll go with them… I don't want you to be hurt. If it'll help, I'll go. I don't want everything I've experienced here to go to waste."
"You see, the girl has sense." Relaie stepped forward, taking Azumaria's elbow with the finesse of a galloping elephant, and pulling her to him. "Practical, and intelligent." He began to rise into the air, supported by absolutely nothing but pulsing green energy, which surrounded them both, causing Rosette to stare upwards, open mouthed. "Now then…to finish business…" His hand came up, and Rosette realized too late, what he intended to do.
Her hand came up, gun still in it, as she leveled it at him, but the blinding explosion of light was already filling the sky, as the blast of power exploded above her as Relaie released his power directly towards her.
Her heart beat harshly in her ears, as her whole world erupted in dazzling brightness, and the roar of her blood pumping through her veins deafened her before the blast's shock wave could reach her ears. All she could think of as the light rushed towards her, sending her hair whipping wildly about her face, was that there was absolutely nothing she could have done to prevent this…she was helpless before such power….
Her whole world was suddenly violently wrenched to the side, and all the breath was completely knocked out of her as a strong impact behind her caught her by surprise. She felt the breath being crushed out of her lungs, and the wind tear fiercely at her face as her whole world was abruptly skewed before she could blink. At first, she thought that she'd been hit by the impact and was being catapulted backwards possibly to her death, but upon further investigation, she found that the scenery around her was rippling by at an incredible pace, and she was heading straight up through the air, the ground spinning far away beneath her.
"Sheesh… I have no idea what you think you were doing, but next time you decide to play hero, find someone more on your par, okay?"
Rosette blinked, somehow her mind having trouble connecting the dots between her sudden predicament that found her flying through the air, and the fact a voice was speaking in her ear…
Waitaminute!
The sudden panic set in, as she instinctively latched onto the nearest thing to her, which happened to be the chest of a very well built man, who had her scooped up in his arms, holding her cradled close to him. Her eyes jerked up swiftly, wide and startled, as she realized their faces were a mere inches away, and he had about as startled of an expression as she did.
Almost…
But Rosette had the distinct upper hand when it came to rights on being startled, as she got a good close look of just who… or rather… what… was carrying her.
At first glance, her instinct was to blush, for he was quite handsome. But it was plainly obvious that he also, was not human. Though the darkness of the night hid his direct features from her, she could see enough of what was odd about him to know. If the three inlaid red glittering gems in his forehead weren't a dead giveaway, the elongated slightly tufted ears, straight horns rising out from the sides of his head, and sharply slit glittering golden eyes definitely were a ringer. That, doubled with a quick glance over his shoulder that showed a pair of widely spread leathery wings, and a slicing tail made of vertebrae sweeping out cutting through the night like a knife.
Damn it… she KNEW it! It was the SAME BLOODY DEMON!
Her jaw set, and she fixed him with an angry glare. "Now wait just a minute buddy… I didn't ask for your help… and I KNOW I've seen you following me before! First over the city, then in Las Vegas. Are you stalking me or something? Why are you following me around! Huh? So you can capture me when I'm unaware and drain the blood from me? Drink up my soul? Come on, answer me, I don't have all day!"
He nearly fell out of the sky right then and there, face clearly mirroring surprise, as he hadn't quite expected THAT reaction. "Uh…." He choked a bit, straightening his trajectory out from careening back the way they came out of surprise. His golden eyes studied hers, wide, and curious. It was clear he wasn't sure what to make of her.
Rosette growled, and shoved the gun that was still in her hand, right up under his chin, and narrowed her eyes, forcing him to pay sharp attention. "Now, I guess I should thank you for saving me and all, but I'm not the quiet helpless maiden in distress here. And I have a gun. If you want to use those pretty wings of yours to fly yourself back down so I can help out my friend, it'd be much appreciated."
She could see the beads of sweat drip down the side of his face, as he clearly weighed his options. High in the sky with a maniacal girl with a gun was NOT a good place for yourself to be blown apart into tiny pieces. "Right…" His eyes continued to study hers. "But…you can't go against him alone if you want to save her. If you haven't guessed, he's not human."
"No shit." She drawled flatly, not lowering her gun from beneath his chin. At the moment, she was just too overwhelmed to really let much phase her… sure, a strange demon was carrying her… sure, she'd nearly been blown apart by another one… but hell, she was keeping her cool. Her co-workers would have been proud. "So, you take care of him, while I go find her, kapeesh? Then hopefully, I won't have to blow ya up, kay?"
A faint smile crossed the demon's strange features, tugging at something familiar in her mind briefly, before it was dashed away as he didn't waste time in changing their direction, heading straight for the huge zeppelin hanging over Central Park just above them. Rosette turned her gaze skyward, swallowing the nervousness that threatened to rise up into her throat. Good grief, what a night this was.
It didn't take them long to soar up and reach the compartments beneath the large balloon, as the wall was smashed into pieces as the demon plunged right into the side, causing Rosette to squeak out of surprise, coughing the dust from the walls away, as they came to a stop in the dark, dusty, windy corridor on the bottom level of the zeppelin.
"Your friend will be towards the front in the main room." The demon said, as he slipped her down out of his arms, coming to a crouch in the middle of the hallway so she could stagger to her feet. He rose swiftly, his wings closing about him and blending beneath the long sleeveless long-coat he wore.
She took some time to study him as she waved the fine layer of silt away from her nose that caused her to cough in irritation. His hair was dark, and dropped loosely over his face, tapering in the back as it hit his high collar. His long ears and horns poked out from beneath, and she could see a couple gold earrings pierced through each of his extended, tufted ears. He wore a high collared dark vested shirt out of leather, that had several catches along his sides that had fine gold buttons keeping them in place, one of which had a long gold chain attached to it, that fell down to just above his belt where a large ornate gold pocket-watch dangled. His pants were a slightly different, darker shade than his vest, but made of taut leather as well, and fell down looser around his ankles, attached to some tasteful almost military style looking boots with silver braces draped about them. A loose belt was cinched around his waist, gleaming silver in the light, and had a few objects attached to it, one of which appeared to me some kind of dagger, and the other the dim outline of a gun. Over it all, he wore a dark sleeveless long coat, that fit his form tightly, unbuckled in the front at the moment, it's hem falling down all the way to his ankles, in several long straight panels. His spine-like tail dangled over the back of his shoulders, stark white against his black outfit, and twice as deadly.
If it hadn't been the oddities about him, he could have easily blended in walking down the street.
The lights flickered all around them, and then with a dying sputter, went out leaving them in near darkness, save for the light from the moon spilling in through the hole they'd just made in the ship.
"Make sure you find her before this thing gets blown up…" He warned, glancing over his shoulder through the dim light at her.
Rosette frowned, the gun still held tightly in her hand, not wavering from it's aim directly at the dark figure in front of her. "Why, what're you gonna do?"
"I'll take care of Relaie. You worry about your friend."
Rosette's eyes narrowed. The hell was with this guy. Something about him bothered her, but she honestly couldn't figure out what it was. "Why are you so willing to help me?"
She saw a flash of very pointed, white teeth reflecting the dim light as he threw her a grin. "Let's just say our goals overlap, and leave it at that for now." He didn't wait to hear what else she might have to say, however, and turned with a swift motion, and vanished into the darkness ahead of them, blending in perfectly to the shadows, and his footsteps echoing more distant, until all Rosette could hear was the howling of the wind through the gaping hole in the side of the hallway.
"Weird…" She muttered, shoving the gun back into her holster, and beginning to run forward into the dark corridor. "Really freaking weird… I've got a demon stalker…"
Her hand found a railing as her foot tripped against a staircase, and fumbling, she managed to find her way up the stairs, into a lighter section of the compartment, one that was undamaged.
It wasn't any less chaotic though.
At first, Rosette had gone on the defensive, her gun whipping out, as she saw the corridor flooded with figures, and she thought she might have to fight her way through people in order to find Azumaria.
But on closer examination, her gun lowered, as her jaw matched it's position. "Geeze…" Every single person on that floor, was frozen still like a statue. It was an eerie scene, almost as if she'd walked into a still black and white photo. Everyone around her, was frozen exactly in the position they had been caught in… one person in the middle of falling, another screaming in rage, a contorted expression on his face, and a third even pulling a weapon of some sort out of his coat. All of them had odd eyes and sharp teeth.
Weird… very weird…
She shuddered and pushed past them quickly, having the distinct feeling her demon stalker was to blame for this. "Well, at least he's making it easy for me…" she muttered.
It didn't take her long at all to find her way up to the largest room, since every bit of resistance she would have encountered had been conveniently already taken care of for her. Within the chamber, was a sight that even further boggled her. There was a gaping hole on the side, a huge broken tube with a woman's body in it, and a pile of ashes in a large almost throne-like chair. Rosette blinked, stared, blinked again, and put a hand to her head.
"Oy vey…"
A slight groan caused her to turn quickly, and spot a figure laying down in another chair off to the side, hooked up with all kinds of wires and strings.
"Azumaria!" Rosette didn't waste any time at all, rushing forward and quickly unhooking the poor girl from the frightening administrations, and rubbing the side of her cheek gently. "Hey, wake up…"
The young woman's eyes slowly opened, and blinked once, before focusing on the concerned exorcist, and widening. "R… rosette?? What are you…doing here?" Her breath came faint, but as Rosette helped her sit up, her strength seemed to be coming back stronger.
"Hey, can't let that dude do what he wants with ya." She shot back with wide grin. "Though how he got you hooked up to this thingy so quick… yikes… I'm not gonna ask how he did it."
Azumaria smiled wanly, and stood shakily holding onto Rosette's arm. "He's…a demon Rosette. He just killed…" Her voice caught, and her eyes glanced over to the pile of ashes. "…I mean… I guess I'm not mad that Mr. Ricardo is gone but… still… Relaie killed him just like… like that!" She looked up at Rosette with wide frightened eyes. "Then… another demon came in… and they both left through there." She pointed at the hole in the wall, with a shaky hand.
Rosette sighed lightly. "Figures… In with a blast, out with one." At Azu's puzzled look, she shrugged. "Apparently, that demon's on the same side we are, for the moment. He helped me get up here…not sure what to make of that though, since I swear I've seen him before a couple times… I might be able to explain seeing him in Las Vegas if he had something to do with Relaie back then, but not earlier even before we headed out there to find you." She shrugged, then turned her gaze out to the sky on the other side of the gaping hole.
It was altogether a phenomenal sight. The buildings of the city shone brightly beneath them in the moonlight, the river Hudson reflecting it's glare brilliantly as they floated slowly in that direction. It would have been very quiet and peaceful, if their vision hadn't been distracted by the glowing flashes of light
It was almost like fireworks.
Rosette could almost see their figures now and then as they paused, and she could clearly distinguish between the two. The larger one was round, well armored, and a hideous sight to behold… and she could only vaguely recognize that it probably was Relaie… and of course Azumaria confirmed it with a nod as they watched. The smaller form was more lithe, and swift, moving fluidly like water, avoiding the larger demons' attacks, and making his own in counter.
The battle seemed to be dragging on forever, though Rosette had never before seen something so powerful, so intense, and so dangerous, and neither opponent seemed to be getting the upper hand, despite blows dealt, and words exchanged. Rosette sighed. "Right. Let's figure out how to get out of here before those two decide to end their battle."
Azumaria blinked, and glanced out of the hole in the wall. "But.. how?" Her wide eyes lifted to stare at Rosette. "How did you get up here?"
"That demon gave me a lift. It's up to us to figure out how to get back down, I think." Her eyes glanced around, but came up empty. There just didn't seem to be a way down by their own.
"Rosette!" Azumaria's voice cut through her musings, and caused her vision to snap abruptly downward, as a familiar buzzing of an engine met her ears. A plane…? Here? Well of course they would have drawn some attention, but…
The two girls glanced down, and saw a very bizarre sight before them. A few feet off, doing a wide sweep, was a small single engine plane, with one occupant seated in the open-aired cockpit, and one more, standing… no…. crouching on top of the wings, leaning forward talking to the pilot.
Rosette's eyes widened, as she watched the lithe demon converse with the person within, before his hand reached out, and accepted something handed over to him, then his head lifted, and he pointed a hand directly at the two girls, saying something more… but they were too far away for either of them to hear what was being said.
"Damn it! He's NOT gonna do it again!" Rosette growled in irritation.
"Do what?"
"Save me! I'm sick of it!" She grit her teeth, and reached out firmly grabbing Azumaria's hand. "Come on, let's find another way off this joint."
Azumaria really couldn't protest, and followed the energetic exorcist with held breath as they ran down the corridors, passing by the frozen people, and back the way they'd come. Their search didn't prove all that fruitful, however, as they came to a dead end, in a bay where there proved no escape craft for them. "Crap." Rosette muttered, slamming the gun back in her holster that she'd taken out for caution. "Seems we're alone up here, and without a way down."
Azumaria's eyes strayed to the hold in the hull that Rosette had entered the craft from earlier, and peered out. "Maybe…" She whispered with wide eyes, as they traced the ongoing battle.
"Hey, wonder if that plane will give us a lift." Rosette stuck her head out, and peered at the plane circling below, out of range of the battle between the two demons, which threatened to come nearer and nearer to their position.
Rosette could see the blows being exchanged, and bit her lip thoughtfully. This could last all night… and the zeppelin was drifting aimlessly. If they could get to the cockpit and land it…
A sudden jarring shudder slammed her shoulder into the wall, as Azumaria gave a startled 'eek', and clutched her, as the whole cabin shook violently. Just above them and to the right, Rosette watched as the two demons went streaking directly through the balloon's center…. Which of course was filled with flammable gas.
Which tended to explode.
All Rosette was able to see as the bright orange flames licked around the top of the balloon, was the two forms of the demons, locked tightly in a close-combat position, with the dark one pressing a bright brilliant glowing blue blade through the larger demon's chest, though she could see his own hands sizzling at the close contact, as they plunged into the fiery mass.
The whole compartment buckled, and then suddenly gave way beneath them as they were blown clear out the hole as the entire structure began to fall towards the earth as it lost it's support.
Rosette gasped, and her hand found Azumaria's sleeve, but there was nothing beneath her feet as the two plunged down towards the river far below, the wreckage of the blimp beginning to follow them.
Was this it? The plane that had been circling was a good distance away, and even if they had managed to spot them, there was no way it could get close enough in time… and there was no sign of her demonic savior this time.
But something else began to happen instead.
A soft warm glow began to encompass them both, and Rosette felt warm hands holding her arms, as their descent slowly began to decrease in speed. Her eyes slid open quickly, and her breath caught in the exact same moment.
Azumaria was floating above her, a brilliant warm glow encompassing the young girls' form, as a pair of ethereal glowing wings extended from her, keeping them safe, and slowing their descent. The fact that the girl had just saved them, was amazing in and of itself… but to see such a beautiful, and astonishing sight…
It also sent a fresh wave of fear, hope, and longing through her…
She had felt the same feeling from him…the same feeling that she felt now… the calming peace and tranquility of a power far beyond her knowledge.
Joshua….
Revised: 02/07/08