Demons Etc.

Chapter Seven: Teardrops of Memories

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! Starting here onwards, I'm re-writing everything! Prepare for surprises, as I've changed the story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Moriyama-sensei does. Blame him!

Few nights really stuck out in Rosette's mind quite like this one. The stars were shining so bright, it appeared that they were fireflies decorating the whole sky with their glittering glow. The moon bathed everything in a soft ethereal glow, sending silver light flooding below on the terrain, where a distant shadow was all that could be seen of their rapid passing through the chill of the night.

The cool breeze against her face felt good, but at such a rapid pace, she couldn't look directly ahead of her as they zoomed across the night sky. But she didn't mind the view to the side, below, above, and…. blushingly, behind her, as the dark demon continued to hold her close. His hair whipped straight streamlined back to his head as they shot through the air, and she watched as some of it tangled with the many gold rings piercing his long ears. It was odd, since normally he seemed the rather conservative, if rumpled, type…yet like this he almost appeared to be a wild punk from the moonshine underground.

By the time the moon was lower in the sky, Rosette was feeling sleep tug at her mind. The sudden jolt of speed decreasing, however, jolted her back awake, as their trajectory slowed, and his wings came out with a snap, causing her to cling tighter to him, as they abruptly slowed to a crawl, as they dropped out of their rapid pace.

"Where are we?" She asked, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn, as she peered around them. There were endless woods as far as she could see, some mountains in the far distance, and a dark blur beneath them that looked like a lake. It didn't look like anywhere near the city…

He smiled down at her, and his golden eyes glittered with amusement. "Michigan."

"WHAT?!" She choked, her mind overloading at that. They'd just crossed how many states….!?

He chuckled and winked at her. "Don't look so surprised. Now, hold on."

She glanced around, and blinked, as he abruptly dove downwards, causing her stomach to clench tightly at the plummeting drop. Her eyes shut briefly, but by the time she realized she wanted to see where they were, she felt a small tap, and then their motion stopped, as he lightly touched down, grass rippling beneath him as his wings lowered, and fell down beside him.

She breathed a faint sigh, as he bent down, letting her slip out of his arms, and she touched her feet to the ground, feeling a bit shaky since she'd been flying for hours it seemed. The ground swirled around her a bit, as if she'd been on a ship, before it steadied, and she glanced around her. They were in a dark grove of trees, the moon's light not penetrating down through the branches above farther than the first level of pines. All around, silence reigned, with the occasional hoot of an owl in the far distance.

She shivered a bit, glancing around. "Well…" She stated as he glanced down her way. "We're in Michigan… in the fall…. Where it's cold… in the dead of night…without a lamp." She glanced up at him, her breath frosty in the night sky as she shivered. "So…why are we here?"

"Because I wanted to show you something." He said with a quiet smile, then pulled off his long coat and handed it to her. "Here, if you're cold."

She took it, and wrapped it around her tightly, feeling the warmth seep into her, since he'd been wearing it moments before. It might have been sleeveless, but it was heavy, and helped keep her warmth close. "Thanks."

"This way." He held a hand out to her, and she grasped it, as he headed into the dark trees. How he could see in these woods was beyond her, but he led her through the brush easily, ducking to avoid branches, and warning her of roots, until they finally broke out of the underbrush, and into a clearing.

The first thing that struck her, was that this place was ancient. It was in complete shambles, obviously in a high degree of deterioration.

It was a small house, set up against the back of a hill, grass spilling all over before them like a carpet, sprinkled with fallen golden leaves from the shed trees all around them. The leaves made the grass seem to grow with a dim carpet of reds, which were muted silver in the night's light, and occasionally brushed up against the trees as the ringed the glade, spilling out into a vast dark lake beyond. A single wide rock bolder jutted out like a spire in the night sky, overlooking the dark waters that reflected the moonlight in ripples of silver. The light danced off of the windows in the house, some of which had long been broken and shattered, dusty and covered in cobwebs and mildew.

He strode forward, releasing her hand as he stepped into the moonlight, strolling casually across the glade, hands in his pockets, as his head rotated, glancing over to the lake with a wistful look.

"Well…" Rosette strolled out, glancing at the two-story house with some curiosity. It was one of those whose top level seemed more like a canopy with a roof, rather than a floor. "This is…interesting…. Now…why are we here?"

"Come." He held a hand out to her again, turning a bit. From this angle, his wings almost looked like a second cloak, against the dark clothing he wore. As she slipped her hand into his, he smiled warmly. "Watch your step. Some of the boards are probably rotten."

"No kidding." She muttered, but slowly stepped into the house with him leading the way.

It was darker inside than out, and Rosette had to squint around to see anything at all. As it was, she could only make out dim shapes of furniture along the wall, covered in dust. The whole place smelled like mildew, and rotting wood, but had that pleasant earthy smell that you wanted to breathe in forever.

Her eyes abruptly cringed, as a brighter light lit the interior, and she put her hand up to block the glow with a cringe. "Hey!"

"Sorry." Chrno apologized, not sounding the least bit so as he turned his glowing eyes her way. "If you'd rather have darkness…."

"No!" She rolled her eyes, poking him with an elbow. "Stop goofing off."

He just smiled, and then turned his gaze towards the ground, where she could see a broken trap door set near a rickety staircase. He bent down and with an easy move, shoved the broken pieces aside, and jumped down. She peered down, seeing the staircase was broken, and he glanced up her way, holding his arms open for her to jump down. She blushed suddenly in the dim light, glad he couldn't see, as she landed smoothly in his arms.

He scooped her down, letting her stand, and began to rummage around in the back. She coughed a bit from all the dust. "How on earth did you come across this place?"

"I used to live here." He replied, pulling some crates aside with a heavy choke of dust that sent them both coughing.

"Really?!" She coughed, sneezing again, and waved the dust out of her face. "How long ago?"

"About fifty years." He crouched down, eyes blinking a bit in the dust, and tore off the lid of the crate with a yank. She could hear him sorting through some things, then he pulled out a dark heavy object, and stood. "Here we go."

"What is it?" she coughed, and squinted forward as he faced her.

"I'll show you." He smiled and held a hand up to her. "Back up there, there's more light."

She nodded and let him catch her supportively, before they slowly rose back up on a buoyancy of astral energy, re-emerging on the bottom floor swiftly. Geh, no matter how many times he does that, it's still amazing.

They stepped back outside, and he walked over to the jutting rock overlooking the lake, and sank down with the black object on his lap. She sank down next to him, and peered at the object, as he slid the cover open in the dim moonlight, and the light from his eyes. It was a photo album, quite well preserved actually, considering how much ruin the basement had been.

"You wanted to see pictures." He smiled glancing over at her. "So here you are."

She took the album from him, and opened it curiously. Sure enough, the first photo in there was of a group of people, all in old western clothing, Chrno standing in the front row, laughing as he was being clung on to by a small girl with glasses, and a tall man with short white hair.

White….hair?

She peered closer, eyes widening. The vague differences were there, but she could see the similarities as well. Though his hair was shorter, and he wore no glasses, she could definitely tell that it was the same man from the photo back at headquarters.

The man with Joshua.

He saw her pause, and grow quiet, and leaned over, peering at the photo and seeing what she was staring at. "Ah…"

"You were friends?" He nodded faintly. She stared down at the picture with a mixed feeling in her chest. They looked so happy there… She had no idea who the others were, but she noted that they all had small oddities about them that made her want to believe they were all demons. The six of them looked as if they were the best of friends however, and it made her wonder where he'd roped a photographer to grab a picture of them all.

She flipped through a couple more pages, smiling as she saw various scenes of them laughing, drinking, and a few very dashing serious poses. They all looked happy and energetic, and as she turned the page, she saw something that made her heart thump a bit. It was a picture of him….with Magdalena.

She closed the book quickly, not really wanting to look any more. "You sure looked dashing with guns strapped to your belt." She joked mildly, glancing up his way. "Kinda still do that, dontcha."

He smiled at her, and glanced out at the lake with a small smile. "I guess it never wears off. It was a fun era."

Her gaze slid back to the house. "So you used to live here, huh? All by yourself?"

"No." He smiled mildly and stuck his chin in his hand lightly.

She didn't inquire further, knowing what his answer would be anyway. Her gaze turned back to the lake. It was calm and placid, and the sun was starting to come up in the distant mountains beyond, spilling pink and peach light across the sky. This place…. She could see why he liked it. It was peaceful, calm, and pristine.

"So…" She finally spoke quietly, realizing with a bright blush, how close she was sitting to him. "Why here of all places?"

"Ah well…" He looked thoughtful. "Circumstances… and…" His eyes lowered to the lake slowly, glazing over a bit. Abruptly, he stood up, startling her a bit, as his wings snapped open, and he lowered a hand to her. "There's… one more thing I want to show you."

She frowned up at him. "Something else?"

"It's… the real reason I thought I'd bring you here." He said quietly.

She felt her cheeks slowly begin to glow again. Just WHAT was he suggesting. Her heart beat quicker at the thought, and she began to feel lightheaded, gazing up at his exotic features.

"Come on."

She gulped, but forced her blood back to her heart, and grasped his hand, watching as his talons curled lightly around her smaller one, and he pulled her up, pulling his arm around her waist supportively. He lifted into the air, hovering just a small distance from the surface, and began to fly over the water, his feet just barely skimming the water's placid exterior. She glanced around, wondering why he was taking them out into the lake, when he stopped suddenly, hovering directly over the water, then dropped.

She gasped, half expecting the icy water to clutch her, but was surprised when his feet hit something hard, and they stood there, on the surface of the water, as if it were perfectly normal.

"Uh….last I looked, you weren't God or nothing…" she managed, staring down with wide eyes. It looked as if he were simply standing on the surface. "So how…."

"Look closer." He urged, setting her down, to her surprise. However, her feet did not pass through the water either.

She bent down, as his hand remained on her shoulders just in case she took a wrong step. At first, she couldn't see what he was urging her to see in the dim morning light. All that she could see was the dark abyss plunging below their feet. But as she knelt down a little, she could see there WAS something there after all.

A BIG something.

In fact… it nearly took up the whole lake.

"Wholly crap…what the heck?" She asked, when he grinned a bit, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hold tight."

"Wah!" She barely had time to gasp, before with a strange distortion of the air around them, she found her whole world wrenched aside, and skewed briefly, before it re-organized around her, and left her head spinning. She opened her eyes, only to find murky darkness surrounding them. The air smelled musty, and old, tinged with dampness from the lake, and dust. She could hear the distant sound of water dripping somewhere off in the background, and the sound of creaking metal as the water pressed in from all sides.

They were in a huge dome of some sort, beneath the lake.

She let out a shaky breath. "Wow….um… ok. What is this place?" Her voice echoed oddly in the wide space, and she shivered a bit in the damp air, pulling his coat close around her.

"It's part of the reason that Joshua is with Aion." He spoke quietly, pushing a button on the wall to the side of them. Instantly, the whole dome lit up with brilliant green light, spilling from lamps mounted on the walls all around them, and inlaid in the steel workings that held the panels of glass up above them.

Her heart sped up a bit, as she took a couple steps down the stairs into the bottom area of the floor, looking around. The reason Joshua was with Aion….? This place looked like something out of a Jules Verne novel, with mechanics and equipment scattered all about, half broken, half sodden. It was clear that whatever this place had once been, most of it wasn't functioning any longer. "Is it… some kind of hidden base or something?"

"Something like that." He stepped down beside her, and glanced around, a nostalgic look on his face. "It was a flying fortress called Eden, long ago."

"Well it ain't flyin' no more." She grinned over at him. "Who sunk it?"

"I did."

She blinked, a bit surprised. "Any reason?"

He ran a hand through his hair, glancing around with a frown. "Yes…" His wings dropped a bit, and she sensed a sudden feeling of nostalgia from him. "It was a conflict of interest between us."

"Between this Aion and yourself?"

"Yeah."

She frowned a bit, watching him. Despite what she'd found out, there was still an aura of mystery around him. What had caused a powerful demon to fall in love with a human, and give up everything for her? Why did he continue fighting, just for the chance to be with her again? Did he really care that much for her? Why did he dedicate so much of himself to that single cause.

"So…" She paused before a broken console, putting her hand upon it. "What is this place then? Just a secret base?"

"No, it was more than that." He said, turning and gesturing for her to follow. "Let me show you." He turned down a dark corridor, and she followed him through some of the twisting passages, until they reached a smaller chamber, riddled with wires and mechanics. But in the center, was a scene that froze her heart still.

A woman's head.

She gasped as a cold feeling clenched her heart, and she found herself clutching onto his arm tightly for support.

"It's all right." His voice was soft and re-assuring. "She's dead."

"Who…was she?"

"Pandemonia…the demon queen."

Her heart clenched in fear at that. "You're joking…." The woman's face was serene, calm, with two sloping horns that curved far back off of her head, attached to many wires and strands, all of which were dormant, their glow long lost. "Why on earth… HOW on earth… I mean…."

"It's a long story." He said with a sigh, staring at the object of their discussion with a mixed expression on his face. She could see sadness, anger, and disgust. "To put it shortly, I believed in the dream that Aion had….believed that it would better everyone. But then, I discovered what he truly intended, and knew I had to put a stop to it."

He gestured out. "You wanted to know the reason we're known as Sinners. That's the reason. Together, the six of us rebelled, murdered her, and left Pandemonium."

Her jaw dropped, and she felt the warmth flood from her face. Such a thing… It was almost unimaginable to picture. She glanced up at him, and discovered that she was having a very hard time grasping that concept. He seemed so nice and gentle…sure he could be a terror if he wanted to in battle, but… To have done what he claimed he did with those others she could only assume were the other Sinners, the ones from the photographs, it blew her mind.

So they were murderers…and traitors…

She was aware he was watching her, and she tore her gaze from the preserved head of the Queen, and managed to meet his eyes. "You okay with this…?" He said softly, concern etching his features. "I know it's a bit much."

"Um…" She lowered her eyes again, and swallowed. "Yeah it's just…Yikes. So, what was his plan…?"

He shook his head. "He wanted to destroy everything, in order to make everything whole…equal… The ideal world, free of the fighting between heaven and hell….it sounded great but…" He sighed. "In order to bring it about, we had to destroy the world first. That just didn't sit well with me."

"No shit…" She muttered. "So what'd you do?"

"Put a stop to their options." He said gripping a first tightly. "And hid this thing where they couldn't find it. Because if they couldn't find it, then they can't continue with their plans."

"But how does my brother fit into this mess?"

"He has special powers, like Azumaria." Chrno glanced her way meaningfully. "He's an Apostle. There are seven of them, all of whom are needed for Aion's plan to come into effect."

"But if he can't find this place then why is he after them?"

"Because…. I knew one day, our dear companion would slip up, and lead us right back to Eden." A smooth silky voice rang through the hall behind them, bringing a ring of joviality and amusement into the dark atmosphere.

They both whirled, but as they did, Rosette watched as a flash of light shot out towards them both. A rough shove threw her to the ground in an instant, as the light rocketed by her only to slam into her demon companion as he released a bellow of pain.

Her head jerked up, in time to see several sharp blades piercing clear through Chrno's body, as he stumbled to his knees, wincing in agony. Three demons surrounded him, each with their limbs trained on him, pierced into his body preventing him from moving. Rosette gasped, her breath holding in fear, as her eyes jerked over from the bloody scene, to land upon a single figure, standing in the doorway behind them, bathed in the faint green glow from the large chamber behind him.

He was exactly as he looked in the photograph, only the aura radiating off of him was deadly and gave her the distinct impression that the relaxed smile on his face was a mere farce.

"Chrno… It HAS been a while, hasn't it." Aion spoke smoothly, coming to a stop before the crouched demon, as he glared up at the intruder with angry eyes. "I'm surprised at you… you haven't been this careless in a long while, or we would have found you earlier. You've managed to hide from us this long…why now? Why all of a sudden?" He slowly pushed the rectangle glasses further up his nose, causing them to glint reflectively in an eerie manner. "Though I must thank you. Without that delightful display the past couple of days, we would have still been clueless. Thankfully, Sheda's detection techniques are far superior to your pathetic attempts at hiding your aura from us."

"Aion…." Chrno growled, spitting some blood out, and trying to pull the bone-like blade penetrating his chest, from a large bulky demon's arm as he hovered behind him. "How the hell…..?!"

"Come come!" The tall man stooped down, cupping a hand around Chrno's cheek and forcing his head upwards. "We haven't been sitting around playing chess for nothing these past 50 years, Chrno. You on the other hand, seem to have gotten in the habit of relying on human weapons to fight your battles… you've grown incredibly sloppy. I'm amazed you didn't detect us following you sooner."

Rosette grit her teeth on the side. The nerve of this man! How dare he come only to gloat over the hard work that they'd put into everything… as if it were nothing! She forced herself back up to her feet, ignoring the nasty bruise that was bound to form on her arm from the fall she'd taken. "Hey, specky. Who the hell do you think you are, waltzing in here and just doing as you please!?" She reached at the side of her waist for a gun, only to feel nothing there. Of course, she hadn't brought it. They had only been going on a short trip, there had been no need.

Slowly, the man turned towards her, an amused glint in his eyes. "I remember you… You're the young man's sister, are you not."

"What have you done with Joshua!?" She growled, taking a step forward. "Where is my BROTHER!?"

He regarded her with a quiet glance, violet eyes piercing over the rims of the glasses, and chilling her soul abruptly. This was NOT a man to mess with… She took a step back reflexively.

"Your brother is quite safe, young lady." His cool voice rang through the room piercingly, sending chills down her spine. "I take care of my wards…." His eyes suddenly glittered dangerously. "And I'm amused to see that you do the same." His eyes flickered over to Chrno, as the demon glared up at him, palms beginning to light up. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." His hand came out with a snap, and a gleaming black blade appeared in his hand, aimed directly at his throat. Chrno froze a bit, staring up at it with a faintly confused look, as if doubting what a simple sword could do to stop him. "I'm not a cruel man, Chrno. I don't seek to deliberately hurt others." Aion was continuing smoothly. "However, you and your selfish actions cost me dearly. Not only in precious time, but in defenses. We've had quite a rough time hiding from Pursuers without our base to shield us. And that angers me greatly." His eyes narrowed over the glasses rims. "I have no desire to kill you flat out, for perhaps your mind can be changed once more, and you can see the foolishness of your actions. However…I cannot have you as a thorn in my side trying to thwart me again."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do you know what these are?" He picked one of the studded gems in the sword's hilt and held it up, allowing the dim green light to glitter off of it. "A Jewel. But not just any jewel. One imbued with the power of summoning astral into a form of a being to use to fight. Incredible devices, perfected by a certain family whom I believe you are familiar with." At the narrowing of his eyes, Aion smiled. "Yes, you do know what I'm talking about. Excellent." He slid the jewel back into its' setting. "These precious stones are quite amazing little devices. They can either expunge energy out of them enough to rival any demon, or they can absorb astral to charge their forms. So you see… If you were to attack me, I would be forced to use this delightful property of the stone, to drain your own essence dry. And that would be a pity, seeing as I still have need for your services."

Chrno's eyes narrowed further, but the glow in his palms stopped. "What do you want?"

Ion laughed. "You have the gall to ask me that?" He spread his free hand outwards, his aim on the blade at Chrno's throat not wavering. "I want Eden back. I want the Apostles in my hands. And I want YOU…" He growled, eyes suddenly narrowing further. "…to suffer the same humiliation you gave me 50 years ago."

"I didn't…."

"Stop this farce, Chrno." Ion's voice lowered dangerously, interrupting his protestations with a near snarl. "You intended to put a stop to our plans, and you did so wonderfully." He leaned forward, the blade pricking the demon's throat, and sending rivets of blood trickling down his neck dangerously. "Where is she, Chrno. Where have you hidden her?"

A slow smile spread over Chrno's features, and Rosette felt the pride in his voice as he spoke, tone taunting. "You think that I would tell you? Just like that? You really must think I'm a fool."

Rosette had the sudden sneaking suspicion that the demon was very glad that he had not taken Magdalene away from the sanctuary now… it seemed the warnings of Sister Kate and Remington had been correct.

Aion's gaze hardened at that, and he closed his eyes briefly, a faint sigh crossing his features. "No… I suppose you are not a fool." He straightened, and his eyes re-opened, locking on the golden gaze of the demon across from him with deadly intent. "I'm giving you one more chance, Chrno. Be thankful I'm being so generous. I could just take what I want without consideration. I'm making you an offer first."

"You can taunt me all you want, but I will not betray her trust."

Aion slowly pulled back, the sword leaving Chrno's throat. "Very well. It seems your stubborn streak is not to be defeated. I had hoped you might be willing to reason with me. But, if you insist on this course of action, then so be it. Suffer the consequences."

The dangerous tone in Ion's voice made Rosette's heart clench with sudden fear. He was going to do something horrible…

It was one of those rare opportunities when you wished you were wrong.

Swifter than a flash of light, the sword in Ion's hands pierced right through Chrno's chest, as the dark haired demon grunted in pain, his hands coming up, beginning to glow again, despite the warning he'd been given.

He never got the chance.

In all her life, Rosette would never hear another scream so agonizing, as the one that ripped from his throat like a howl, as Ion's two hands locked tightly around the twin astral consumption horns on Chrno's head. With a violent rending of power, blood, and light, Rosette stumbled back as a small explosion blew her into the wall, sending shivers of fear up her spine, as something warm and wet struck the side of her face. It took her a few long, agonizing moments to realize that it was blood….

Chrno's blood.

Ion stood with his back to the scene, casually brushing off his coat, which was splattered with dark stains that marred the white fabric eerily. In one hand, were two slivers of bone, gleaming dully in the green light from the room, covered in spatters of red. He slowly turned around, dabbing his face with a handkerchief, behaving as if this was a daily occurrence. However, the menacing look in his eyes was enough to pierce straight through the soul.

Chrno was hunched over, blood dripping from both sides of his head, where his horns had once been attached. His whole body was shaking with convulsions, and an icy feeling crept into Rosette's heart as she realized with horrified shock that he was dying.

"Chrno!!!" She screamed, launching herself forward, as the three demons that had been holding him still, removed their weapons from his battered body, and stepped back. She only just managed to catch his shoulders and cradle his head in her lap before he hit the metal catwalk. "Chrno!!" His eyes were half-lidded, and she could see the golden orbs beneath were glazed over from shock, as his breath came quick, and shaky.

Her head jerked up, as hot tears splashed down from her eyes, mingling with the blood spattered on her face. "You…. MONSTER!"

Aion simply peered down at her, a look of mild amusement painted over his face. "Young lady, I did give him a fair chance. In addition, it's no less than what he did to me." His eyes flashed in a strange way.

"You said you weren't going to kill him!!" She screamed violently at him.

"And so I did not…yet." He drawled slowly. "I have no intention of allowing him to die."

She struggled to hold back the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her. "What the hell are you talking about! Without his horns…!"

"He will die." Aion said smoothly. "Unless, he has another source of power to draw from."

Her breath caught suddenly. "Normally…it's designed to facilitate power to a demon who's lost his. It…can also act as a liaison in another way. In this case…It allows me to guard someone else's life with my own." Oh God.

His eyes regarded her with amusement, weighing her reaction. "Yes. If you want to save him, it's the only way."

Her eyes jerked wildly down to the glinting gold clock cinched about his belt. It's face was splattered with ribbons of blood that gleamed crimson on it's burnished face. "But…if I do that then…."

"The other contract will be severed." He continued for her. "But if you don't sever it, then you'll simply be allowing him to die, and freeing her soul from his protective grasp. Either way, the contract will be broken."

Her heart pounded in her chest. This wasn't right… how could she make such a decision for him!? Her eyes spilled the tears that had been gathering, and a few struck Chrnos' face, causing him to blink, and stir in her arms, trying to sound out some words. Her gaze ripped down to meet his, and she saw distant desperation in his eyes.

God…she couldn't lose him.

Her teeth grit tightly. She had no choice. Her head lifted, blue eyes burning coldly as they met stormy violent violet ones. Her expression said it all, clearly what she thought of him. He didn't seem to care, however, as he smiled patiently at her. "Well, young lady? Will you allow him to die? Or will you save him?"

"Screw you." She growled, before reaching a hand out and grasping the cold metal timepiece tightly in her hand. Her gaze lowered to meet his, and she smiled sadly. "I'm sorry Chrno. But I won't let you die. Not after you've jumped in and saved my life God knows how many times…" She watched as his lips moved, and his hand twitched, trying to reach up and stop her, but he was too weak. "I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you see this through alone. Besides, if you die, she'll be sad…" She added as an afterthought, a sad smile playing on her lips.

Mournful understanding crept into his eyes, and his hand slowly closed around hers as she held the clock. She smiled sadly, and lowered the clock to his chest, as his hand guided hers, until the clock suddenly snapped open at his chest.

The moment it opened, she saw the difference in it's synchronization. Instead of bright red light, the energy surrounding it was an intense green. Patterns of runic design began to creep over his chest, lit up with the bright light, that seemed to meld into the metal's contents. Wind began to kick up around them, and as she leaned forward, hoping she was doing the right thing, the pain hit her.

It was unlike anything she had ever felt before….and not unlike the feel of a loaded gun slamming into her chest. She gasped in pain, as light exploded in her vision, and a violent wrenching began to twist about her chest. The scream that ripped from her throat barely reached her ears as she wasn't even aware that it was coming from her. It felt as if her entire body was being rendered asunder from within….

And it was all she could do to stay conscious, as the light rippled around them intently, until finally dying.

All that met her eyes as the brilliance faded, was darkness, as she slumped forward, joining Chrno in blissful unconsciousness.

Revised: 02/08/08