Do not expect updates as fast as they've been coming. I've been neglecting several other works for this fic and my other readers probably aren't too happy about it. Though more reviews might motivate me more.
Balance of Judgment
Chapter 2: Black and White
Chrno held Rosette in her arms tightly and refused to let go. Though he knew it was a dream, that was perfectly acceptable to him. At least he could see her again this once. When he had walked across his dream when he had been sealed in the tomb, it hadn't been so bad. He could at least pretend he was dead and near Rosette that way. From time to time Chrno almost felt Rosette's presence. However, the feeling was always fleeting and left as quickly as it came. Why was life so cruel?
Sunlight warmed his face as Chrno became conscious again. He opened his eyes and gave them time to adjust to the light. As Chrno sat up, he took a look at his surroundings. He had been too tired yesterday to pay attention when Azmaria guided him here. The room was certainly spacious enough, though somewhat plain. Chrno didn't care about any of that. What was important was this was the room Rosette used to occupy. There were a few changes as time passed on, but the room still held memories.
Chrno hugged his legs and just sat there. Until the gateway was opened, there wasn't much that he could do. And without Rosette, Chrno didn't feel like there was any point to his life. He closed his eyes and rocked slightly. Maybe he could just stay in this room until the time came. That certainly sounded like a plan. Unfortunately, a knock on his door interrupted his train of thought. A few seconds later a head poked in. It was Rico.
"Hey you're up! Well, no rest for the wicked. Get a move on it, Chrno."
At first Chrno didn't know what to say. This girl was ordering him around like it was perfectly natural. She certainly had a lot of spirit.
"Why should I get up?" Chrno asked and laid back down.
The brunette stared at him and a fierce scowl came over her face. Before Chrno knew it, he had a lump on his head.
"Ouch!"
The demon clutched his head and backed away from the girl. Rico was cleaning her classes with her shirt as she stood at the side of the bed.
"That's what you get for not getting up. Now get going or I'll throw you out the window!"
"Okay, okay," Chrno relented.
He stood and started digging through the clothes Azmaria had supplied him with.
"Uh, could you give me some privacy?"
Rico walked out of the room and closed the door. As Chrno changed, he couldn't help but remember the times Rosette had knocked him over the head. He even wanted to feel that again. After Chrno had finished dressing he looked down at the uniform. It was that of the Militia and was probably the only thing Azmaria could have come up with on such short notice. For a second Chrno wondered if Zachary had planned for him to stay at the Order for the time being. He certainly was a cunning man.
"Are you done yet?" a voice called from outside.
"Yes, Rico."
Chrno walked out and stood before the young girl. Her blue eyes sparkled behind the glasses as she pushed them up again.
"Let's go, Chrno. You need to eat. Wait, do you?"
"It helps if I eat."
"Well come with me then. I just got up and haven't had breakfast either."
"But isn't it almost noon?" Chrno asked.
Rico smiled sheepishly. "I overslept. I like to sleep in, which is kind of hard to do when you're part of a religious order."
"I know. I used to have to go through all kinds of things to get Rosette to get up."
Rico fell silent and glanced at Chrno. He didn't sad at the moment, just thoughtful.
"Anyways, breakfast is simple today. Like it always is. But I guess you don't need a lecture on what life here is like. However, you will need a lecture on how much things have changed in the world."
As they walked down the hall Rico went on about the developments that had taken place since Chrno's entombment. The Second World War, the atomic bomb, the Soviet Union, some technological advancements, the Gulf War, as well as the recent actions in Yugoslavia, or what was left of it. Chrno paid attention only as much as needed to know what she was talking about. His focus was on looking around and seeing how much had changed in this place he once knew as home. After his true identity had been revealed, he had expected the others in the Order to hate and fear him. Initially, that's what happened, but slowly they began to understand him and accept him as one of them.
"Hey! Are you paying attention!?"
"Sorry Rico," Chrno said, holding his hands up defensively.
Rico sighed and turned around again.
"Well, you better have remembered what I said, cause I'm not going through it again. Jeez, I never read that you were absentminded."
"Times change," Chrno managed.
"Well, they didn't change the quality of food as far as I'm concerned. C'mon, breakfast is already over and I want to be able to eat something."
When they got to the mess hall it was completely empty. They grabbed some bread and two bowls of soup and sat down to eat. Chrno smelled the soup suspiciously but gave it a taste anyways. He immediately regretted it.
"What is this?" he asked.
"Huh? Oh, it's cold. That's why it tastes weird. If we had gotten here earlier, it would have been much better."
"Maybe I shouldn't have slept so late," Chrno muttered.
Rico patted Chrno on the back and smiled.
"Don't worry too much, Chrno. After this, we get to do more interesting stuff."
"Like?"
Rico grinned. "Test weapons."
That was certainly true as after Chrno managed to swallow breakfast, they were in the firing range. This time the grin on Rico's face started to scare Chrno.
"Uh, you said we were testing weapons?"
"New bullets I made," said Rico. "I call it the Last Rite."
"Seems fitting."
Rico held up a long bullet and showed it to Chrno.
"It's made up of silver with a titanium core. I fused a small amount of ultraviolet energy into the holy water and it should be able to seriously mess with any demons."
"How nice," Chrno said as he eyed the bullet nervously.
"Don't worry, I won't test it out on you. But I am going to be the first to test it!"
"Why wouldn't you be the first to test it?" Chrno asked. "Also, why aren't you an exorcist? You really seem to like action, though you work as the weapons master."
This time it was Rico that smiled sheepishly.
"Well, let's just say there were a few incidents and Sister Azmaria doesn't want me go out on missions anymore. It's not fair."
Chrno shook his head and clutched the rifle.
"So, are you going to try it or not?"
"Oh I am."
Rico raised the gun and took aim. Despite himself, Chrno plugged his ears and only kept one eye open. He had no idea what to expect when Rico tested out this new bullet. He remembered when Rosette had lost the Spirit prototype and what a mess that had turned out to be.
The shockwave struck him before Chrno even knew Rico had pulled the trigger. He smashed into the wall and Rico crashed into him moments later. All the demon could do was moan as his body absorbed the impact. As he opened his eyes he noticed a dozen other sisters rushing towards them and a ruined shooting galley behind them. They picked up Rico, who seemed more disorientated than hurt. Chrno felt the holy energy burn him but he tapped into some of his powers. It quickly healed him and he stood again.
"Rico!" Azmaria screamed.
That shook the girl from her trance and she backed away from Azmaria.
"I'm really sorry Sister Azmaria, but I really wanted to test the Last Rite!"
"You tested a holy weapon with Chrno around!? Are you insane! And YOU were the one that tested it? What have I told you Rico!"
Azmaria shook her head and came over to Chrno.
"Are you okay? I hope Rico's actions didn't cause you any permanent harm."
"I'll be fine," Chrno assured her. "That was just unexpected. That bullet really was powerful."
Azmaria nodded. "Yes. However, that hardly excuses Rico's actions. You're on cleanup duty for the next two weeks."
As Rico tried to come up with more excuses Azmaria took a look at the destruction.
"Starting with this," she added.
Rico just lowered her head and nodded slightly.
"I'll get on it, Sister Azmaria," she said dejectedly.
"I'll help," Chrno suddenly added.
Rico immediately brightened and smiled but Azmaria frowned.
"It is her punishment, Chrno."
"Don't worry about it. I used to have to share Rosette's punishment all the time. This is nothing."
Azmaria sighed. "Very well. But I need to speak with you first, Chrno."
A nod and a wave to Rico. "I'll be back soon."
"Don't be gone too long!" Rico called back, already at work.
The two walked away and Chrno brushed the dust off his clothes.
"Well that was the fastest I've ever ruined my clothes," he commented.
Azmaria chuckled as she looked over the slightly beaten demon.
"I hope Rico didn't cause too much trouble."
Chrno shook his head. "She reminds me of Rosette somewhat. Except Rosette never did know too much about technology."
"Yes. When Rico first came here, I almost thought she was Rosette. Her hair was a lighter brown back then. However, I will say this much about her. Rico has just as much penchant for trouble and destruction that Rosette had."
Chrno glanced back as Rico started sweeping the smaller debris aside. Though her hair was tied in a ponytail, she did look slightly like Rosette.
"Why is she here anyways?" Chrno asked. "Is she an orphan?"
Azmaria shook her head. "Rico's family is actually quite rich. They decided to drop let her come study here hoping it would calm her down. Of course, it hasn't really worked out that well."
"How old is she?"
"Seventeen. Interesting coincidence, but that's about where they end. Rico and Rosette are actually quite different."
"Hmm. I'm sure they are. So what did you want to talk about?"
Azmaria didn't answer right away and just kept walking forward. Chrno didn't try to press his old friend and simply waited.
"Chrno, you realize that if you find Rosette in Heaven, you can't bring her back."
"I know. But I assume my partner has a plan of some sort."
"In order to draw forth her soul, you must manipulate the Astral Line. Do you remember what happened the last time it was done?"
Chrno nodded. "Of course. But I still don't know what his plan exactly is. I can only play along for the time being. If it turns out that people will be hurt by it, I'll stop him."
"Very well, Chrno. I'll trust you to this, for now. Weren't you going to help Rico?"
Chrno chuckled. "That girl really does get into trouble a lot. Don't be too helpful, Chrno. Remember, this is meant to be punishment."
With all the activity around him Chrno felt slightly better. Though he still anticipated his reunion with Rosette, it was pointless to constantly think over it. He could be patient a little longer.
Two Days Later
The two men that stood outside of the gate were noticed almost immediately. Dozens of Militias surrounded them and escorted them towards the main compound. Azmaria, Chrno, and Rico waited on the open grass under the night sky. Though Azmaria disliked having Aion even close to the compound, she'd humor Chrno for now.
"Sister Azmaria," the other man greeted and bowed.
Azmaria looked at him and took note of the black clothing. It seemed odd that the demon would be the one wearing white and the angel black. She wondered for a moment if they did it for the irony or just as a joke.
"The name is Zachary, and I am a messenger of God."
"We welcome you, Brother Zachary."
"I assume everything is ready?"
Azmaria nodded.
"Good."
Zachary walked towards the lawn in the center of the compound and smiled.
"This will do nicely. However, I must warn you, Sister Azmaria. The Astral energies that I channel will draw demons towards here. I suggest you position your forces in a way to repel them with the least casualties."
"How long will you take?" Azmaria asked.
Zachary smiled. "You won't even notice that we were gone."
Out of nowhere several crosses appeared in Zach's hand. When the three stood in the middle of the lawn and everyone else had fallen back, he threw them up. Each of the cross landed and lines began connecting them. The end result was a six-point star with the three standing inside the center hexagon. As Azmaria looked closer, she thought she noticed some kind of simple in each of the six triangles at the ends. However, the light was too intense to examine it any further.
Shehaquin/Sagun, Third Level of Heaven
When Chrno opened his eyes he found himself in a beautiful field full of flowers and a random three here and there. It was a breathtaking sight and filled the demon with an incredible warmth.
"Stay by my side," Zachary cautioned them. "This is Heaven after all, and the Powers probably won't like you coming up here, even if it's for a mission."
"The Powers," Aion muttered. "You're referring to the 6th Choir, are you not?"
Zachary nodded. "Their duty is to ensure demons don't take over the world or Heaven. Of course, two demons walking around by themselves would draw a lot of attention. Especially two Sinners."
A few children ran past them, giggling and laughing as they enjoyed themselves. Zachary watched them pass by and smiled.
"Well, at least we won't have to search too far."
Chrno felt his heart skip a beat at that statement.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because there are children nearby. And Metatron can always be found watching over them."
"I'm not sure I understand."
"Metatron is the teacher of the prematurely dead children," Aion suddenly said. "I assume Rosette would count as one of them."
"Indeed. Her life was meant to be much longer, but she sacrificed it to find her brother. A very noble soul, that one."
As they walked Chrno watched more children go by. There were also a few adults and everyone seemed happy here. Was it right to take Rosette away from a place of such peace? Then again, Zachary had hinted that Rosette was unhappy here without him. At the very least, he did want to see her.
"What choir are you of?" Aion asked as they continued walking.
"Dominion," Zachary replied.
"Is that so?"
Suddenly Zachary stopped and looked ahead. In a clearing sat another man that seemed to be reading to several children from a book. Zachary shook his head and walked over.
"Telling stories or lecturing?" Zachary said as he stood behind the man.
The man looked back and smiled.
"Ah, Zachary. I see you're back already. And what's this? Why are they here?"
"All part of the plan, Metatron," Zachary assured him. "Keep in mind I have to do what I can with what I have."
Metatron closed the book and nodded. "True enough. That's it for now, children. I'll call you again for next time."
Though they seemed disappointed the children got up and left. Metatron himself stood and the chair he had been on just moments ago vaporized into little specks of light. Chrno watched as the children ran off and noticed their age differences. Some seemed to be only toddlers while another was probably as old as Rosette had been.
"So, what can I help you with?"
"Remember when I asked you to check on that particular soul? The one of Mary Magdalene and Rosette Christopher?"
Metatron rubbed his chin as an ethereal book appeared before him.
"Hmm, yes, the one that made that contract. Certainly a unique soul, if you ask me."
Metatron opened the book and looked through it quickly.
"Ah yes, here it is. She was reincarnated 17 Earth years ago. It took a while to get her out of that depression, which was why she was only reincarnated recently. I had to help her slightly rebuild her soul since so much of it is, well, how should I put this? Used away, I guess would be the best term."
"Used away?" Chrno asked nervously.
"Of course." Metatron gave Chrno one look and recognized him. "Ah, the Contractor. Well, you should have an idea of what I mean. In order to use your powers, you needed to draw upon her soul. As you used your powers, her Astral energies were converted and as you used more energies, more became lost."
Chrno took a step back and looked at the watch.
"I never knew it was like that."
"I doubt even the maker of that watch fully comprehended what she had created," said Metatron. "However, she is alive and well."
"So where is she now?" Zachary asked.
"Strangely enough, she went back to the Order," Metatron said. "I believe her name is Rico Franklin."
Chrno received another shock and his mouth fell open. He tried to process the information but his mind simply failed to understand it completely. Finally, he stepped forward towards Metatron.
"Are you sure?"
Metatron laughed. "My dear Chrno, I have been God's chancellor for eternity, and not once have I mis-recorded anything. Now, is that all Zachary? I do have other work to do."
Zachary nodded in response. "Thank you for your help, Metatron. Chrno, Aion, let's go. There's still more work for us to do."
Chrno gave the angel one last look before he followed.
"Metatron is the teacher of prematurely dead children. What other positions does he have?"
"He's also the Angel of Death," Zachary replied. "Come now."
They walked out of the gate and with another flash of light were standing inside the Magdalan Compound again. Azmaria came up to them and looked them over.
"My, you were right. I really didn't think you had left yet."
Zach offered her a grin. "What did I tell you, Sister?"
He looked around at the gathered soldiers and shrugged.
"Well, let's see. I don't sense any demons near-never mind."
"Huh? What is it, Brother Zachary?"
"Someone's coming," Zachary stated. "Or rather, more than one. Chrno, Aion, better get ready."
Without another word, Chrno got by Rico and pulled out his gun. Zachary couldn't help but smile before looking over at Aion. The demon had already transformed and was waiting. It didn't take long before a shadow approached them. In the blink of the eye, a dozen demons appeared while one in a black trench coat stood in front of them. The demons were flying through the air, surrounding the soldiers.
"Well now that's interesting," Zachary noted. "Aion, Chrno, do you two think you could defeat someone of that power?"
The two demons looked at the man and both shook their heads. Both were smart and weren't about to make stupid stands.
"Who is that?" Azmaria asked.
Her soldiers were waiting for her order to attack, but she wasn't about to send them to their deaths needlessly.
"It's been a while, Mammon," Zachary greeted as if he were talking to an old friend.
The demon just smiled and walked forward.
"When I detected all this energy, I did not think it would be you that had summoned it. Step aside and I'll let you leave. I'm only here for the gateway."
"Sorry, can't do that. The Powers wouldn't exactly like it if I allowed you back into Heaven."
"Then so be it."
"Azmaria, Chrno, Aion, take care of Mammon's servants. I'll deal with him myself."
As the demons started pouring down Azmaria quickly shouted for her troops to open fire. A hail of Sacreds greeted them and blew several back. This however didn't deter the winged creatures. They continued charging but an entire wing of them were suddenly wiped out. Aion lowered his hand and took flight, smashing into the other demons with a cruel laughter.
Chrno stood his ground and provided supporting fire. Suddenly Rico handed him a bullet.
"Here. It's another Testament. It should help even the field."
He looked at the bullet and nodded to Rico. After sliding it into the sniper rifle, Chrno took aim. As much as he wanted to use it on Aion, that was not the wisest choice at the moment. Chrno made sure that the demon was out of range and fired. The bullet struck and the explosion vaporized several other demons near the point of impact. Even Aion seemed affected as he retreated from the blast zone.
Mammon looked up as his forces were decimated and shrugged.
"Their deaths hardly matter. However, you won't stop me from getting to the gateway."
This time it was Zachary's turn to shrug.
"You assume too much, Mammon. And you were always too greedy, unwilling to share."
Zachary unbuttoned his coat and cast it aside. Under it several pairs of wings began unfolding. When they were completely open Azmaria and the others could only look in wonder. The silvery shine was brighter than that of the sun and illuminated everything.
"What is this!"
The light intensified and Zachary shifted his wings to focus it. Without even raising a sword, he was defeating the demon that had attacked. Mammon fell to his knees as the holy energies burned through him. An unearthly scream echoed through the night as white fires erupted and slowly cut through the demon. In an act of desperation, Mammon charged forward and tried to defeat this angel that was slowly killing him. Just before his blow could land, the demon exploded into a million specks of light and fell to the ground. As they touched down, the light dimmed and disappeared forever.
Zachary folded his wings again and the light diminished. He put on his coat again and looked around at the others. Though Chrno and Aion had some burns, they were otherwise unharmed from that little demonstration of his powers.
"You all right?" he asked the others.
Aion nodded and reverted to his human form, his wounds healing almost immediately. Zachary turned to Chrno, who also gave an affirmative.
"Good. Sister Azmaria, how are your troops?"
Azmaria looked around as the wounded were helped away.
"I don't think we sustained any critical casualties. Thanks for your help, Brother Zachary. Can all angels do that?"
Zachary grinned. "Well, I'm a higher ranked angel. Remington wouldn't have been able to pull that off, even if he could have used his powers."
"You knew Remington?" Azmaria said, giving him a curious look.
Zachary waved it off. "More about that later. Right now, Chrno needs to take care of something."
As the soldiers pulled out Zachary and Aion followed Azmaria away. The Sister noticed Chrno standing uncertainly in front of Rico and gave Zach a look. The only thing Zach did was nod before he motioned that they should be leaving. Azmaria smiled one last time before she left the couple to themselves.
Chrno wasn't sure what to feel as he looked at the young woman standing in front of him. The more he looked, the more similarities he saw. That sparkle in her eyes was just like Rosette's. But if Rico really was her, she wouldn't remember him at all. She was a reincarnation of Rosette and Magdalene, but without their memories.
"Chrno? Uh, is something wrong? Stop staring at me like an idiot!"
Chrno smiled warmly. "Sorry, Rico. Umm, could we talk in private?"
"Sure, though I should help with the wounded. I can't just sit here and watch."
Chrno smiled again as he helped Rico carry in those too hurt to move. Thankfully they were few and the others simply suffered from a broken leg or sprained something. A while later they were back in the workshop. Rico and Chrno sat down and the demon found that he didn't know how to tell it to her.
"So?" Rico asked. "Did you find her? I mean, it'd be great if you did. From what I read from the Elder's journals, you really loved her and Rosette loved you back."
"I found her," Chrno said slowly.
"So?" Rico leaned forward. "Where is she?"
"She's right in front of me."
"Huh?"
Rico looked at Chrno and sat back again. She frowned in confusion until she realized what Chrno had meant. Then she just laughed.
"Don't be silly, Chrno. I'm not Rosette. From what I read, Rosette was a field agent, and she definitely wasn't real smart with technology."
"Rico, do you know what the Astral Line is?" Chrno asked.
"Huh? Well, I read somewhere that it was the source of life. So?"
"When someone dies, their soul returns to the Astral Line and passes from there to Heaven. It is there that the soul is prepared for another life. It is there that it waits to be reincarnated."
Rico said nothing for a full minute and just stared at Chrno.
"So you're saying I'm Rosette Christopher reincarnated."
Chrno nodded.
"Prove it."
"Uh, well, that I'm not totally sure how to do," Chrno admitted. "Zachary said something about how I can sense you through our contract, and that it's still binding somehow."
Rico leapt out of her chair. "What! You mean you're taking my life too!?"
"No!" Chrno shouted, trying to calm her. "I don't need your soul to use my powers. I have a receptor for that, remember?"
Rico sat back down and sighed.
"Phew. You really scared me for a second there. I don't have a reason to give away my life like that. But if you're right, maybe this time things will turn out happier."
"I hope so," said Chrno. "Too bad you don't remember anything."
Rico laughed. "Chrno, don't be so down. You managed to get Rosette to love you, right? And also, the two of you lived together for about six months. Here, I'll make you a deal. If you can prove that I'm Rosette Christopher's reincarnation, I'll give you a chance to win my heart. Okay?"
"And if I can't?" Chrno asked nervously.
"Well, that way, you'll find it tougher since I won't give you the benefit of the doubt."
Chrno could do nothing but sigh. "Fine. Guess I should talk to Zachary and see how I'm supposed to use this contract."
"And if he won't tell you?"
To Rico's surprise Chrno just smiled. "Then I'll find another way. Rosette never gave up, and neither will I."
Rico patted Chrno on the shoulder and gave him a big smile.
"Now that's the spirit. By the way, could you come and help me tend to the wounded? We could use some extra hands."
"Of course."
When the two entered they found Azmaria and Zachary already at work. The more seriously wounded had already been healed and Azmaria's song was helping take care of the rest. Chrno closed his eyes and simply listened to her voice. It was still so beautiful, after all these years.
"Was Azmaria's singing as good when she was younger?" Rico asked.
Chrno nodded. "Azmaria was always a natural singer. She had the most beautiful voice I have ever heard."
The light around Azmaria faded and the Sister opened her eyes. She smiled at those around her and looked to make sure their wounds had healed. Off to the side Zachary clapped a few times before walking over to her.
"Wondrous. I have not heard that voice in ages, my lady. How we've missed your voice in Heaven."
Azmaria seemed surprised at his comment but simply smiled.
"That Zachary, what is he exactly?" Rico asked Chrno.
"He's an Angel of the Dominion Choir. I don't know much else."
"Well, I'm not sure if my help will be needed this time. Why don't you ask Zachary about that contract."
"Good idea," said Chrno. "I'll see you soon, Rico."
Chrno hurried over to his angel comrade and ignored Aion. The less he had to see of his fellow demon, the better.
"Zachary."
"Ah, Chrno. There you are. So how did Rico take the news?"
"Well, she wanted proof," Chrno replied. "I told her that you said I could use the contract to prove it. However, I'm not sure how to do that."
"That's quite simple," Zachary said. "Reverse the contract."
"Huh?"
Even Aion turned his head to listen. This was certainly getting interesting.
"If Rico truly is the one, you can reverse the contract that you made with her soul. That will restore her soul to its entirety by linking the Astral energies you draw in. If the ritual even works, that would be proof enough. Also, once her soul is restored, the memories from when you drew from her soul will also return."
Chrno thought it over carefully before saying anything else.
"Does that mean she will also receive Mary Magdalene's memories?"
Zachary nodded. "However, she will only regain the memories of the time when the contract was in effect. That means, though the contract was technically severed when Saint Magdalene died, it actually still linked you to her soul. While Rico will regain all of Rosette's memories, she will only gain a small fragment of the Saint's memories."
"But, is Rico ready for that much?" Chrno wondered. "Will the memories be too much?"
"As long as you're with her, it shouldn't be," Zachary answered. "However, you'll have to wait before we do the ritual. You've found Rosette, so now it is time we started on the plan."
Chrno regarded Zachary and nodded after a bit. He would keep his end of the deal. If Rico was really Rosette, then he would do what Zachary asked.
End of Chapter 2
My research into Heaven, demons, and angels for a book of mine is lending itself quite well to this. By the way, who do you people think Zachary really is?
Z98